Rebirth of Genesis
by Mr. Logan
Summary: Things become more complicated with the rise of an enemy who, unbeknownst to Shinji or Asuka, is really a comrade. Can either of them sense this betrayal? R&R Please! CH. 16 IS FINALLY UP!
1. Resurrection

Disclaimer: Evangelion is property of GAINAX. I do not own it or any of the characters in it... if I did, would I write a fanfic about it, honestly?

I have never written a fanfic before in my life, so my writing for the first few chapters may suck entirely. Hopefully, it will get better as the chapters go by. I love to have reveiws but NO FLAMES PLEASE. They may have serious effects on my health, possibly resulting in further brain damage ( OK, not really.)

Anyway, this fanfic is meant to be a Shinji/Asuka romance (as it should be) so if you have a problem with it, you should...well...read the story anyway. Who knows, you may like it.;)

Like most Evangelion fanfics, this one takes place after Third Impact; 6 years after Third Impact to be precise. Shinji is out of Tokyo-3 and living a different life. However, he is called back to NERV to witness the recovery and dismantling of EVA-1 and EVA-2.Upon arriving to Tokyo-3, however, he is reunited with his old friends and he soon learns that his Eva still holds a purpose in defending the world for the darkness that is looming overhead...

Since the characters are older, it is only appropriate that some of them are OOC. People change over time after all..sometimes . This fic is also rated PG-13 for strong language, violence, and maybe some sexual content later on.

Enough of my mindless blabbering. I, Deathboy, now somewhat hesitantly present, Evangelion: Rebirth of Genesis.

YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WARNED! FWAHAAHAAHAHAHAA!

(Deathboy disappears in over complicated and dramatic puff of smoke)

Chapter 1:

Resurrection

Setting: Remains of Tokyo-3. Two days after Third Impact.

The sea was the only thing left now. Not a single person nor building stood in the quake of the impact, all that was left was this ominously eerie bright orange ocean. But it was not water that filled this ocean. Instead, the ocean was filled with the esscence and soul of every person in the world.

Except for the two figures that lied side by side on the ocean's beach.

One was a boy with chestnut colored hair, dressed in black trousers and a clean white shirt. He lied down on the beach in complete silence, as if nothing had ever happened to him at all.

But that is far from truth. In the last 48 hours, he was in fact the most powerful person of all mankind: the grand judge who decides whether or not all of mankind should live or die. The fate of the entire world rested in his hands.

But that no longer matters anymore. He had made his decision and he chose the world to suffer. The world that he felt mistreated him and hated him is now punished for their sins against him.

The boy couldn't help but smile to himself. Now no one can cause him the pain that he was constantly feeling in his already burdened heart. No one now could tell him to pilot the Eva; he was free to do whatever he wanted now. This new barren land was his, in which he would rule. (Shinji's insane. Pretty cool huh?)

'KOFF!'

But there was someone else here. The boy known as Shinji Ikari turned his slowly to the side to face the cause of the disruption. Next to laid his 'friend' and fellow Eva pilot Asuka Langley Sorhyu. She didn't have as good as Shinji though. Her right arm was bandaged to top of her shoulder blade, and her left eye was completely covered with a patch. She was also wearing a red mandatory plug suit provided by NERV. These suits were always skin tight, and whenever someone of the female persuasion wore it, her most sensual features were especially...appealing.

Shinji paid attention to these features occasionally, which often resulted in a hard slap across the face and Asuka shouting, "PERVERT!" out loud to his face.

That never truly bothered him at all. That was the way she treated every man (apart from Kaji of course) around her and he was no exception.

He felt something for her from the very moment they first met, but that was before he met her personality. But as tough and cruel as her attitude was, he felt that she was hiding her real emotions. He believed that if he tolerated her personality and treated her like she was a friend, she might open up to him more and treat him like a loyal friend as well.

Unfortunately, that all fell through. He was fed up with her shit at this point and there was no denying that she hated him like everyone else did. And why shouldn't she? He hurt her like he did everyone else. Every time he tried to do something for her, he only hurt her even more.

That's why she hates him. That has to be it. Now she was the only one left, the only person that he could hurt. She did not deserve to live; she did not deserve his love or his pain. She must be banished from his new world!

Shinji got on top of Asuka and slowly wrapped his hands around Asukas beautiful, slender throat. He then began to cut off the oxygen slowly as the madness inside him grew stronger and deadlier. Shinji strengthened his grip around her throat, eagerly waiting for her presence to disappear.

Shinji (to himself): yes, die. You hated me too Asuka, I tried to help you every chance I get and you still treated me like a baka! You hated me just like everyone else. Now, leave this place so that the pain we both feel will disappear!

Asuka slowly woke from her unconscious state; she had spaced out for quite awhile. She swore that she was dead, but she couldn't be because, apparently, someone was trying to kill her right now. She stared up to see a completely deranged Shinji choking her without mercy. She did not feel any pain from this though. Instead she felt hurt on the inside: a hurt she hasn't felt in a long time.

Asuka (to herself): why are you doing this baka? Do you hate me? Is that hatred I see in your eyes? No, it's not. It's sorrow isn't it? Are you sad that you are killing me? Don't you want me around anymore? Baka. Of course you do. It's in your eyes as well. You'd better stop now Shinji or else you'll regret it for the rest of your life! BOTH of us have to live because I...need...yo...

The oxygen in Asuka's lungs was at a critical low now. Fortunately, she realized that Shinji had gone off the deep end, and her true self has emerged just in time to save them both. Her death would do more harm to him than it would to her; she needed to stop him for the sake of his life.

She lifted her arm with all her might and reached for Shinji's face. Her lungs were burning like the fires of hell, but she kept going. It seemed like his face was miles away but she had to stop him! Her lungs kept burning and time was running short.

Shinji kept his tight grip on Asuka, not preparing to give any mercy whatsoever. The madness inside had almost completely possessed his body, causing him to grunt out in a series of chuckles. He noticed that Asuka was reaching to him for some reason. It didn't matter. She would dead and gone forever in a few seconds. Why should he stop now?

Asuka's eye was starting to get very blurry at this point. The fires in her lungs still grew stronger and her heart was starting to give up. At this point just reaching two feet in front her was a difficult journey.

Her time was just about up.

Asuka (to herself):' I can't reach. It's over. I...I'm sorry shinji..."

Shinji felt a sharp warm sensation at the end of his face. He loosened his grip slightly and looked over to the point where the warmth was coming from. He saw a bandaged hand caressing his face with love he had never experienced before. He looked at Asuka point blank in the eye. There was not hatred toward him or anger. Instead, there was sorrow and...love?

Shinji's mind stayed in shock for a moment. All the perceptions he had of Asuka were false; she didn't hate him, he could feel that in the faint emotions emerging from the touch. She truly cared for him.

Shinji (to himself): What am I doing to her?

The madness in his heart slowly drained away. He released his grip on Asuka's throat slowly and sat on top of her in silence.

Shinji (to himself): she doesn't hate me. But, does that mean that other people liked me as well? Does that mean that I killed innocent lives for no reason? Wha...What have I done?

He completely broke down into tears.

Asuka slowly regained oxygen and started breathing normally. She had gotten through to Shinji, but now he crying like the wimp he used to be. But she knew he wasn't a wimp. He was much stronger than she could ever be. If it wasn't for her lousy attitude, maybe he could've stopped Third Impact and the world could have been in peace for a long time. Maybe if she didn't treat him like shit all the time, none of this would have happened. The world could have been still full of people and she could be with Shinji for the rest of her life.

She blushed furiously at the thought.

Asuka(to herself): Wait a minute! Did I just think that! I don't need that baka! We only have each other now and I still don't need him! He's pathetic. He couldn't even go through with killing me!

The part her that was her pride suddenly emerged, sending her true feelings to be locked in her heart once again. She then put on a false, smug grin.

Asuka: How digusting.

Shinji heard the remark and instantly stopped crying. He rolled off of Asuka and lied next to her on the cold beach. That remark was unexpected, but it did not harm him at all. He saw the look in Asuka's eye, and no amount of abuse could cover her feelings for him. Knowing this, Shinji fell asleep with a smile of pure content.

Even if the world is dead, he still had her.

Asuka looked over at Shinji with confusion.

Asuka (to herself): He completely destroyed the world, nearly choked me to death, and cried his eyes out. So why is that baka smiling? Is he still mental or something?

Asuka was just too tired to worry about that kind of thing and she swiftly feel asleep.

Little did the two know that the endless ocean of LCL in front of them was getting smaller and smaller. The small particles of LCL evaporated from the ocean and floated into the air. The particles made their way past the ocean and towards the liquid corpses that littered Tokyo-3. Each particle surrounded a specific body and started fusing with the other particles it surrounded. Soon, the particles began to take the shape of human bodies, giving life to the bodies in the process.

All the people that died before third impact were now starting to come back to life.

Bodies on streets, in houses, on playgrounds, and everywhere else were reviving from their temporary relief of life. Several people stood up and staggered down the street to help the others that were beginning to awake. No one truly understood what happened, and none of them cared right now. All that mattered was the fact that some people were injured, and they needed to be helped. However, there was something peculiar that some people noticed. In the air, a soft, wispy voice could be heard. The voice sounded like a goddess, and kept repeating the same thing over and over:_ If they chose to live, then live they shall._ The few individuals that heard the voice just shrugged it off as some sort of hallucination and continued to help the others around them.

None of them ever gave the voice a second thought.

It was at this point in time that Shinji's pleasant dreams were being disturbed. He awoke to the sounds of sirens and people shouting around him. Opening his eyes quickly, he spun aroupnd and looked up the cliff to behold the last thing he had ever expected to see. There were people. Lots of people. Paramedics were running around rushing people to the hospital. Police officers were directing traffic passed the set barricades. People stood around talking amongst one another: laughing, arguing, complaining and so on. Just like before Third Impact.

Shinji: But, this is not the old world...that world is gone...because of me...that place is gone.

_That is true, but now Resurrection has begun and a new world has been born._

Shinji shivered. He was still tired but he swore he heard a voice in the wind. And also, that voice seemed to be speaking to him.

Shinji: Ressurection...

_The pain of death always resolves into rebirth_.

Now he knew he wasn't alone.

Shinji: Who said that?

Shinji sat up and looked forward. He sat there in shock as he saw the ocean of LCL drained up into the sky and into many directions. For some reason, this made sense to Shinji (hell, at this point, anything made sense to him).

_Do you see now Ikari? The LCL is what we become in the end, but it is not truly the end, because the life comes back to us. To our individual forms._

Shinji (rubs the back of his head): that makes sense, I guess. But why is that happening?

_Because they chose of be their own selves. That is the real cycle of life._

Suddenly realizing whom the voice was, Shinji stood up and walked toward the draining ocean. The LCL had almost completely gone into the heavens above. He stared at the sight for a few moments and then spoke again.

Shinji: Re-Rei? Is that you Rei?

_My time has come to pass Ikari. But do not fear for me. I am apart of you. I am apart of everyone now._

Shinji looked up as the remaining drops of LCL drained into the sky. Behind him he heard someone coughing in her sleep.

_The other survivor needs you... in more ways than one. Farewell, for now._

The pool disappeared completely into the red sky. Shinji fell to ground and looked over at the sleeping form of Asuka. She was shivering furiously and was very pale. Shinji put his hand to her forehead. She had a fever, a very high one at that.

Shinji (to himself): aw man, she's sick. She needs help. But Rei, how can I help her? This is a job for doctors and nurses, not me. What should I do...Rei...

Man: Hey you down there! You need an ambulance?

Shinji snapped out of his mental state: Yeah! Where is it?

Man: Well, up here. There's no way that boat can get down there through this rubble, so the only way is up! You need someone to come down and help you!

Shinji turned his head slowly towards the sleeping form of Asuka. He always thought she looked beautiful when she was asleep (he really only saw her asleep once, twice if you count her coma) and this time was no exception. Even with the horrible injuries she had endured, she was still an angel to him. But the fact that she didn't hate him meant something more to him than her looks. That was something worth keeping.

Shinji: No. I can get up my self.

Man): well...okay, just be careful. That rubble looks unsavory.

That was true. The rubble did have lots of sharp concrete and metal sticking out of it; and it stood about twenty feet up (but besides that, it was as soft as pillows).

He picked up Asuka with all the strength he could muster and rested her sleeping figure on his back. Being careful not to wake her, he wrapped her arms around his neck and began climbing the rubble toward the crowd of people. If he wasn't so tired, this would have been much easier, and it was rather hard looking for a place to grip.

A few minutes later he was almost completely towards the top.

Shinji (grunting): just a few more feet...

The concrete his right arm was gripping gave away. Panicking, Shinji flailed for another piece of concrete. Fortunately, he managed to grip on to a piece two feet down from where he fell. Unfortunately, He had only a minor grip, since he used his other arm to help restrain Asuka to his back. If he didn't do something fast...

Shinji (to himself): gotta keep going. She needs me, and I can't let her down.

Shinji: This is all I can for her now.

With all the strength he had in his right arm, he pulled himself upright and managed to stand on a narrow ledge. He could make it with just one arm, but another fall and they would be doomed.

But surely enough, Shinji somehow managed to make it to the top. He handed Asuka to one of the paramedics and began to cradle his right arm.

Shinji: I bet I pulled a muscle or something.

Paramedic: Why don't go with her to get that arm checked on.

Shinji nodded and followed the paramedic to the nearest vacant ambulance. The paramedic placed Asuka on the stretcher while Shinji retreated to the wall opposite the stretcher. With all his strength diminished, Shinji slammed his exhausted body against the wall and rested silently.

Shinji (to himself): Everybody's back. So does that mean that, I really saved them? Is this all real?

The pain in his arm told him sure enough that this world was real. Feeling ironically relieved by the pain, he put his head against the wall and quietly fell asleep

It was at that instant that Asuka slowly opened her eye. She was feeling really shitty right now, so getting up was probably not the best idea. Instead, she looked straight up to notice that there was a roof above her. She also noticed that she was moving as well. She looked in front of her spotting several pieces of medical equipment; she was obviously in an ambulance, but how? She turned her to the right and saw that Shinji was lying against one side of the ambulance; sleeping with the same smile he wore while on the beach.

Asuka (to herself): Did HE bring me here?

Come to think it, it did feel like she was moving while in her dream state, but why did he help her? She could have made it up on her own, even in her state of health. Hell, she's been through much worse crap than this; was it possible that Shinji thought she was a bigger weakling than him?

She had half the mind to slap him across the face multiple times, but her stomach pains got to her first. Who was she kidding? She couldn't get here on her own, even the baka knew that. Did that mean that he actually cared about her health? Her mind kept telling her "no", but apart of her told her that Shinji really was worried about her. She didn't know who was right, and personally, she did not feel like finding out right now. All she wanted to do was rest.

Asuka kept her head turned towards Shinji and spoke.

Asuka (silently): Baka.

She let sleep take her over once again that day, as the ambulance drove away from the city thriving with new life.

End of Chapter 1.

I know Asukas personality seemed a little off here, but I believe that she is like that when her pride is not in the way (I still think my writing sucks nonetheless). Then again, there was a small lack of Asuka's "thoughts" in this chapter (she also seems to be a very deep sleeper). Anyway, I hope that chapter wasn't too confusing or dry. Things will start kicking up soon.

Also, I know that this is a beginning that is used quite often, but don't worry. I am going in a different direction next chapter that will hopefully bring the fanfic some more originality

For now, pleaze review! and ,as stated before, no flames please. I can't afford to die from extreme criticism. Good-bye!


	2. Conflicts Arise

Disclaimer: I don't own Eva.

Thanks for the reviews everyone! Finally, here's chapter two of Evangelion: Rebirth of Genesis.

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Conflicts Arise

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Setting: Hospital in Tokyo-3. Four days after Third Impact

Shinji slowly opened his eyes, awaking for the first time in days. He had been asleep ever since the incident involving Asuka, meaning that he had no idea where he was or why.

He looked around and quickly noticed that he was indeed at the hospital.

Shinji (to himself): well duh. I guess we were riding an ambulance after all.

Shinji scoffed at his own stupidity and looked down at his arm. By the way it was bandaged, he had apparently done quite a number to it. He could've swore he only pulled it by climbing the rubble, but now it looked as bad as the makeshift bandage Shinji put on Asuka's arm.

Shinji (to himself): huh. Guess I can stand more pain than I thought. Speaking of Asuka, where the hell is she?

Shinji jumped out the hospital bed as new energy filled his entire body. He never felt this good since before Third Impact arose. He felt he should take it a little easier though, with his arm being totaled and all.

Voice: So I see you're feeling better Mr. Ikari.

Shinji spun around to the source of the voice. The doctor was standing in the doorway with clipboard in hand. He was a handsome man with dark violet hair and small round spectacles. Shinji could only guess that he wanted to talk to him about his arm.

Doctor: you where out for quite awhile. Probably for the best though, we are very short-handed around here; I wouldn't have been able to get to you if you've gotten up a couple of days earlier.

Shinji: A lot of people are hurt huh?

Doctor: Yeah, there were quite a few in the last couple of days. (chuckles) Ironically, I had to treat a lot of doctors, hence our current situation.

Shinji remains standing as the doctor takes a seat next to his bed.

Doctor: But, now things are getting kind of slow. It's weird though, all the crazy stories I hear about everyone coming back to life.

Shinji felt a sick feeling in his stomach.

Doctor: 'Course I don't believe it.

This statement surprised Shinji.

Shinji: Do you even remember anything that's happened?

The doctor raised an eyebrow.

Doctor: Well...I remember doing some paperwork and then I just passed out or something weird like that. The next I know, I woke up right at my desk, like nothing ever happened. I admit, it is a bit odd that everyone else in the city passed out at the same time, but coming back to life from death is just too damn ridiculous.

Shinji couldn't believe it. They all really DID come to life and not everyone believed it. And apparently, some didn't know that the rest of the world died and resurrected as well.

But perhaps it's for the best that they didn't know for sure. After all, it was his fault that they died; they would be happier without the knowledge of the pain of death...at least, he would feel better.

Shinji decided to change the subject.

Shinji: So, what's up with my arm doctor?

Doctor: Heoken. Just call me Heoken. I hate doctor. Way too formal.

Shinji: Okay, Heoken then.

Heoken (looks down at clipboard): Well, it was a hell of a repair. Your arm was broken in two places among the _humorous_, and dislocated it at three separate joints. We had to pop the joints back in place and wrap that arm carefully.

Shinji's eyes widened a bit.

Shinji: Damn. I just thought I pulled it.

Heoken: Pulled it?! Shit, you must have some stamina if you think that. Whatever motivated you at that time must have given you some heavy-duty resistance. I wished I had that motivation.

Shinji knew exactly what motivated him to withstand that level of pain: Asuka.

Shinji (surprised): crap I forgot! Hey Heoken, what about Asuka? Where's she?

Heoken: Auska? Oh, you mean the red head you where with. She's a couple of rooms down, but let me tell you, you were better off than she was. Her right arm was completely sliced in half, and her left eye was punctured big time. It was miracle that the operation was complete success.

Shinji (completely ecstatic): you mean she's all right!? Is she feeling better too?!

Heoken: As far as I can tell, she's still asleep. (Looks down at clipboard and looks up again) maybe you should go see her...huh?

He looks up and Shinji was already gone.

Heoken (blinks in amazement): Geez, he's fast.

Asuka lied completely still in bed, undisturbed by the busy environment around her. Shinji just took his time in waking her; he was too busy admiring what she looked like asleep. He stood in the hallway as the daylight dawned down upon his vision of beauty; he was completely enamored with her ever since the night before.

Shinji (to himself): maybe now she will open up at long last. She shown her true self to me once, maybe she is still in there...somewhere.

It had also occurred to Shinji that Asuka had not known about any of last night's events. She still did not know about everyone coming back to life and all that.

Shinji (to himself): I guess I'll have to tell her everything then...  
  
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Asuka was in a dark room with no doors or windows. She looked around her, trying to figure how she got here and why. She looked down and spotted the only piece of furniture in the room: a rag doll.

Asuka (terrified): no.... not you again....

Footsteps were coming from the darkness in the other side of the room.

Asuka: who-who's there?! Answer me!

The figure stepped out of the darkness, revealing the face of Shinji Ikari. Except he didn't have the typical naïve smile anymore; instead he looked at Asuka with a face of pure madness.

Shinji (chuckling): you're still alive huh? I-I guess I'll have to try again.

He walked toward the doll in the middle of the room and picked it up. He put the doll eye level to Asuka and began to strangle it furiously. Asuka couldn't do anything except stare in fright.

Shinji: DIE! DIE! DIE! Nobody loves you anyway. I especially hate you and your little bitchy attitude. Why don't just die like the whore you are Asuka!

Asuka couldn't take much more of this. Bad memories began to fill her head: memories of not being wanted, memories of not being needed, and memories of loneliness. Her mind had reached the breeching point of sanity.

Asuka (screaming): NOOOO!!!! STOP IT!!!DON'T SHOW ME ANYMORE!!!WHY DON'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE YOU BAKA!!!!I HATE YOU!!!!I HATE YOU!!!!

Asuka (jumping straight up out of the bed): I HATE YOU BAKA!!!!!

Asuka was sweating like crazy and was gasping for air. She calms down a little to see where she was. She looked around the room, spotting a nightstand, dinner tray, Shinji, a chair....

She whipped her head back at Shinji who was standing in her doorway. Her eyes widened.

Shinji (concerned): Asuka! Are you all right? What happened?!

He takes a couple of steps towards her bed.

Asuka (yelling): STAY BACK BAKA!

Shinji stopped suddenly. She seemed to be frightened of him, but why? Wasn't it caring and understanding that he saw emerge from her last night? It had to be...

He steps forward cautiously

Asuka: I SAID STAY BACK!

Shinji: Asuka...what's wrong? Please, tell me. I-I want to help....

Asuka: I DON'T NEED YOU BAKA! ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE ARE THE LAST TWO PEOPLE ON EARTH! JUST LEAVE!

Shinji (still getting closer): Asuka...

Asuka leaps out of bed, terrified by the closing distance between her and Shinji. She shoved past Shinji as hard as he could. Shinji fell on the floor, hard.

Asuka (yelling): IF YOU WON'T LEAVE, I WILL!

Asuka darts for the door and slams it behind her.

Shinji: Wait! ASUKA! There's something you need to know!

Shinji flings open the door and finds Asuka standing in the middle of the hallway, frozen. She looked around her as several other eyes looked back at her. Apparently, everyone in the vicinity heard the little conversation Shinji and her were having. They just stood there and stared back at Asuka

Asuka's brain started going into maximum overdrive.

Asuka (quietly stuttering): w-w-what is go-going on here...why i-is there people here...

Shinji: Asuka...The world came back to us...

Asuka just stood there in disbelief.

Heoken (shoving through crowd of people): pardon me, 'cuse me. ah ha! I see the other patient has woken up!

Asuka did not stand for long though. All of this was too much to handle all at once, causing her to instantly faint to the ground.

Shinji: Asuka!

Heoken (exasperated):'sigh'. Shit.

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In the examining room ten minutes later

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Shinji (blushing like crazy): are you sure its okay if I stay here while you're examining her?!

Heoken (jokingly) : sure. It ain't as bad as you think. Besides, you are her significant other aren't you?

Shinji (whispering): I wish I were...

Heoken: what's that?

Shinji: Nothing important.

Heoken: Well, she'll wake up in an hour at most. She'll be fine. Anyway, why don't you stay here until she wakes up; I got to check on other patients. Later.

Heoken leaves the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Shinji sat on the chair opposite of the examining table where Asuka was laying.

Shinji: I guess I just wait...

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Asuka was back in the room again, but the doll was not in the middle of the room anymore. The person that stood in front of her now was none another than....herself.

Other Asuka: He lied to us.

Asuka:...baka?

Other Asuka: Yes...he tricked us so he could get all the attention we deserve. He knew that everyone would come back, so tried to push you away to get that praise.

Asuka:...but he would never.....

Other Asuka: What?! He tried to kill us remember?! HE did not want us around to take a piece of the popularity. Why else would he try to kill us?

Asuka:.....

Other Asuka: then he takes us to the hospital to make it appear that he saved you! You know, "The Invincible Shinji saves a poor, poor girl from certain death. Not to mention the rest of the world"

Asuka: He only saved me so he could get the glory? But that's just going too far....not even that baka would do something like that!

Other Asuka: Stupid Bitch! What ever happened to the great Asuka Langley Sohryu? He says he wants to help us, but all he truly desires is to destroy us. All we have to do is keep the baka away...then...he will become the weak little pest he truly is.

Asuka: Does that mean that...people will want me again?

Other Asuka: yes...we have a purpose...as long as we keep the baka away...people will want us. Besides, He doesn't really love us. Why try to love him back?

Asuka (puts on a smug grin): He makes me sick...

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Asuka slowly awoke from her slumber, filled with new revelations. Ones that would affect the course of her, and Shinji's life, as we know it.

Shinji saw Asuka wake up and jumped right out of the seat.

Shinji: Asuka! Are you all right?! Does anything hurt.

Asuka just sat there her head bowed down.

Asuka (quietly): Stop pretending you care you hopeless baka....

Shinji:... what's the matter Asuka...

Asuka: my problem is YOU baka. you lied to me about the others. You knew all along and kept it from me.Her words hit Shinji like a blunt object against the head.

Shinji:...that's not true. I just want too...

Asuka: Go away. I don't need you. I don't want to see your pitiful face anymore.

Shinji heard Asuka and left the room with reluctance. She was completely hysterical now, and she needed to calm down. He did not want to leave her alone, but his typical Shinji logic told him to run away; and so he did.

That was his big mistake.

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Nurse: Doctor! She's gone! She's not in the examining room!

Heoken looked up abruptly from his clipboard.

Heoken: The redhead? But wasn't there a boy in the room also?

Nurse: No, he's in the patient's room, but she's not there either!

Heoken gets up from his office chair and swiftly heads for Asuka's hospital room.

Heoken: grumble...grumble...grumble....

Shinji sat on Asuka's bed pondering on what had occurred. She had never, in their entire time together, treated him like that before. There were times when she would get angry with him, but she seemed to always bounce back every time.

But this time, it sounded like she meant the words she said. It really did sound like that she hated him. Shinji was starting to have his doubts about her feelings towards him.

Shinji (to himself): but...why? What was it that I saw in her four days ago? Was she feigning love? She never really did say she loved me...

These thoughts made Shinji's heart sink to his stomach. If that was true, then nothing has really changed at all between them; and the outcome may be worse, much worse.

Just then, Heoken popped into the doorway, out of breath from running here.

Heoken: Shinji...why did you leave the examining room?

Shinji (confused): I thought she might have needed some time alone. Why?

Heoken: Well...honestly...she isn't there anymore.

Shinji jumped off of Asuka's bed instantly

Shinji (yelling): SHE'S GONE?!

Heoken stood up straight with his wind completely regained.

Heoken: Yeah, and we can't find her anywhere in this damn facility.

Shinji wasn't really surprised about that. If he knew Asuka, she could slip out of this building easily. The problem was where would she go?

The answer hit Shinji like a ton of bricks.

Shinji (whispering): Misato's....

Shinji darted past Heoken and made a run for the main entrance.

Heoken: Hey! We're ya goin?! Ya need to check out first.

But by the time he had said that the boy was already out of the hospital. Heoken laid his arms on the window and put his head on them.

Heoken: man, if only one girl could do that to me too...

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Shinji: Misato's.....she has to be there....

Shinji was running at full speed to what used to be the home of Misato, Asuka, and Shinji. But Misato must have come back to life with the rest of them, so she may be at her apartment. Shinji had completely forgotten about the rest of his friends who resurrected with the rest of the lot, let alone Misato. Seeing Misato would normally be a wonderful reunion for Shinji, but now was not the time to worry about that. Maybe if she was home, she could keep Asuka occupied long enough for Shinji to catch up to her.

Just maybe...

He reached the complex in less than two minutes. It was good to see that a lot of the old buildings still stood after Third Impact. Actually, Shinji thought nothing stood after the impact. Guess he was wrong again.

Shinji jumped into the elevator of the apartment complex and repeatedly pressed the button for the desired floor.

Shinji: Please be there Asuka....

After what seemed like eternity, Shinji finally reached and sprinted towards his old home. But at about ten feet in front of the apartment building, he came to an abrupt stop.

The door was wide open.

Shinji casually walked inside and looked around. The kitchen and living room were completely trashed. That either meant that someone looted the place and ran or Misato came back as well as her destructive living habits.

He walked down the short hallway and looked into his room. Nothing was touched at all. A sigh of relief came over Shinji. Clearly, Misato must just have been home because looters wouldn't miss out on stealing his or Asuka's stuff.

Remembering why he came here in the first place, Shinji turned around and looked at the door which belonged to Asuka.

He gently rapped against the door.

Shinji: Asuka, are you in there?

No answer.

Fearing that Asuka might just be asleep, Shinji hesitantly opened the door. He peeked in and saw no one on the bed. He opened the door completely now, convinced that no one was in here.

Shinji looked at Asuka's dresser and noticed that every article of clothing was missing. He then opened up her closet and saw that all of her clothes and a couple of her duffle bags were missing as well.

He looked at the bed again and saw a note on it. It was addressed to him. Shinji picked it up and read it thoroughly:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Baka,

I know that you would follow me here, so I left this note. Don't follow me anymore. I'm going somewhere else besides this cursed city. Or....is it you that cursed my life?

Asuka

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Shinji read the note over and over again. He could not believe it, he was too late. She was gone now, out of his life forever...

But something didn't right about Asuka's words. Like it was as if she did not write it herself. Nonetheless, it was her handwriting, but her motives left Shinji in unbearable confusion.

Shinji:...why? Why did you leave Asuka?

Shinji didn't know what to do anymore. He left the apartment quietly and headed back for the hospital, unsure of the life that awaited him.  
  
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  
  
End of chapter 2

I hope that was a little more original than the last chapter. Those of you expecting a little more Eva action scenes, don't worry, I've planned some for the next chapter:)

Please Review! and until next time, See ya Later!


	3. Six Years Later

Disclaimer: I don't own Eva. Never sue a poor man.

All right, more reviews! And may I say 'Thank you' to everybody who did reveiw this fanfic. (sniff) that means a lot to me...

(to himself): get a hold on yourself...

Anyway, Heres the next chapter of Evangelion: Rebirth of Genesis.

* * *

Chapter 3: Six Years Later

Setting: NERV headquarters, Six years after Third Impact and Resurrection

Misato Katsuragi stood in of heart of NERV headquarters, preparing for the final preparations of her plan. It was decided ,six years ago, that NERV headquarters in Tokyo-3 would be terminated since the use of the Evangelions was unnecessary. The angels were all destroyed. To her, it was all over. The Evangelions did what they were supposed to do, now they must be freed from their metal prison.

She could not wait to get out of this forsaken underworld. This place and her position never truly brought her joy or happiness of any kind. Instead, the only thing that brought her joy was the family and friends she loved.

Ritsuko. Loyal friend to the end. She never did come back after Resurrection, as it was now called.

Kaji. Irritable Lover. She never did find out what happened to him. He could be alive...maybe...

Gendo. No comment. Never returned after Resurrection.

Asuka. Her only 'daughter'. She was told that she ran away six years ago, and as hard as she tried, Misato did not find her. Her tracks were too well hidden.

Shinji. Her other adopted child; her son. Shinji...

Misato still had hope when it came to finding Shinji. Unlike Asuka, Shinji was not very good at hiding. She was hoping that sooner later, Shinji would just show at her door one day, or that he would have been found a few days after his disappearance.

But that was six years ago...

Now it was nearly impossible to find them. Nonetheless, she still tried. She still had her contacts that could help. And who knows? Maybe there are such things as miracles...

Personnel 1: Commander! We are prepared for the retrieval of Eva unit 1. We begin at your command.

Misato: Roger. Commence retrieval.

Today was the last step in the dismantling of NERV headquarters. It begun six years ago with the deconstruction of various facilities within the geofront. Then they worked their way down to the transports used in the geofront and the Auxiliary power sources. And finally, they destoryed Terminal Dogma one year ago.

All that was left was Central Dogma and Eva containment facilities; but the final step was getting rid of the Evas.

Eva unit 2 was not hard to find, and with its heavy damage, it would not be hard to dismantle. Unit one was in the process of recovery from orbit.

The first objective in this recovery involved placing giant, metallic clamps on all the Eva's limbs. This would take approximately two hours, and that wasn't even the hard part. The hard part was getting the Eva back to the shuttle.

Before Misato knew it, the first part of the mission was complete.

Personnel 2: All clamps are placed on Eva unit one. Proceeding to return to shuttle.

Personnel 1: Engines activated. Eva unit one is being brought towards the shuttle.

The timing had to be perfect in getting the Eva back for a mission as sensitive as this. One wrong move could mean losing the Eva, so precautions had to be taken. It took an hour just to get the Eva into the shuttle, let alone be strapped down into it.

But sure enough, the mission was a success.

Personnel 2: Eva captured. The shuttle is on its way home. Mission complete.

Misato smiled for the first time in a long time. Her life with at NERV was nearly over now. If only Shinji were her to see this...

Personnel 3: Commander, you have a call on line one.

Misato headed towards the control panel and picked up the phone.

Misato: Commander Katsuragi speaking.

After a few moments of silence the entire geofront suddenly became filled with the echos of Misato's loud, jovial voice.

Misato: YOU FOUND HIM?!

The Personnel all fell out of their seats and stared at Misato with quivering fear.

Misato: WHERE IS HE?

* * *

Setting: A small remote town in central Japan.

somewhere deep in the heart of Japan lived a small, no-name town that thrived with little life. This was the ideal place for someone, like Shinji, to hide out.

The town only housed about 200 citizens, and the only major sturctures there was a small school and a town hall. Besides that, there were various restaurants, a few houses, and a small auto shop at the edge of town. There was only one highway in and out of town, and the townsfolk normally didn't use that often anyway.

In fact, there was only one car on the road outside of the small town, and it was going pretty damn fast.

Misato accelerated her car up to 90, unable to hold back her excitement in seeing her 'son' again. And she had every right to be too; she hasn't seen him since pre-Third Impact after all.

According to her contact, he was in this town out in the middle of nowhere working in an Auto shop. Considering the size of the town, let alone Japan, it was no wonder that he was hard to find.

Misato: But you couldn't hide forever Shinji. I've finally found you.

Misato was on the outskirts of the town now, and sun had just set. It was almost for another fateful meeting in the life of Shinji Ikari.

Man: Hey mechanic! Is my car finished yet?!

The man under the car hood heard his name being called, but he was not prepared to get up and talk to the man face to face. He already knew who the man was anyway.

Noeske: Mr. Hamazuki, I told you, just call me Heoken. And no, you just brought it in two days ago.

Mr. Hamazuki: yeah so? Shouldn't it be done by now?

The man named Heoken Noeske decided to get out under the hood, revealing his boyish face and light chestnut hair. He was a fairly well-built man, probably in his twenties, and his visage often told people that he was not the right man to mess with. Mr. Hamazuki could see that now.

Heoken: Well, you came in with it after it got into in accident with a VERY large truck, it needs a new engine, new frame, transmission, brakes, doors, and bumper. So no, I don't think it should be done by now.

Mr. Hamazuki (angry): Well fine then, I'll just take it to one of those newer auto shops and get it fixed up there.

Heoken looked at Hamazuki with his usual serious mask. He stepped closer, right up to the mans face as a matter of fact.

Heoken: go ahead. They'll just charge you more and probably do it in double the time I do it in.

He turned around and headed for the doorway; to his house that was connected to the shop.

Heoken: Take it elsewhere. Saves me some trouble.

Heoken smiled at his assertiveness and disappeared inside of his house; while Hamazuki walked away muttering stuff he wouldn't dare say to Heoken's face.

Misato stepped out of her car parked across the street. She saw the whole thing, and frankly, she was surprised. That man couldn't possibly be...him...

Heoken opened the fridge and grabbed a cold drink. He walked into the living room and sat on his favorite chair, with sustenance in hand. He didn't here the door open while he guzzled back on the beer.

Misato: you certainly have changed since I last saw you Shinji.

Heoken choked and spat beer all over the floor. It was bad enough that someone startled him, but someone found out his real name too. He looked up hoping that it was a familiar face that addressed him.

He was right.

Shinji: Mi...MISATO?!...It can't be!

Tears started coming down her face. He remembered her!

Misato: My Shinji....

Misato ran up to Shinji as he stood up. She had caught him in the biggest bear hug on the face of the earth. He was afraid that if she squeezed any harder, his pride might pop out.

Thankfully, She let go of him right away. Misato took a step back and looked in astonishment at how much he's changed.

Misato: Well, you certainly look healthy.

Shinji looked at his body. It was true. He did grow some muscle in six short years.

Shinji: People change. So have I.

Misato (nodding): That's true, you have changed. You even changed your name as well, Mr. Heoken Noeske. Not a very clever alias if you ask me.

Shinji: Still, it took you six years to find me.

Truthfully, Shinji didn't mind that they found him. Normally, he would fight for dear life to get out of their clutches, but seeing Misato changed everything.

Misato: It was clever that you took the name from a doctor at the hospital.

Shinji: It sounded kinda cool.

Misato:It sounds very stupid.

Shinji: ouch.

Misato (teasing): awww... am I picking on my little Shinji too much...I'm sorry....

She ruffled his hair in a jokingly way. She had to reach up to do it now, since Shinji had somehow hit a major growth spurt. It didn't matter to him. She has not changed a bit.

Suddenly, she swiped the beer out of his hand without him so much as looking down.

Misato: You are still not old enough to drink young man.

She started gulping down the rest of the beer as she sat down on the couch next to Shinji's chair.

Shinji: Is there another reason that you are here Misato?

Misato carefully chose here words, hoping not to scare off Shinji liked she used to do.

Misato: Yes...I was hoping that...

Shinji turned around slowly, seeing what is coming next. It happened everytime he threatened to leave home six years ago, She would ask him if:

Misato: ...you would come to NERV.

Shinji (agitated): I knew it.

Misato jumped out of her seat. She fucked up again.

Misato: Wait, Shinji, it is not what you think.

Shinji: What is it then? You want me to pilot the Eva again? What the hell...did you bring it down from space?

Misato: Yes but...

Shinji: Damn it! Now you want me to pilot that damn thing even though we have no more ang....

Misato: Listen to me! I DO NOT WANT YOU TO PILOT EVA EVER AGAIN.

Shinji calmed down a little. Now he was interested.

Misato: I just wanted to invite you back so that you can see the dismantling of Eva units one and two.

Shinji had been waiting to hear this kind of news for years. It was finally happening. It would be over.

Shinji: You mean...you are really getting rid of my Eva?

Misato nodded.

Misato: Yes. And Asuka's as well.

Asuka... Maybe...She will come back to see her Eva off too...

Shinji: So does that mean that Asuka would be there too?

Misato (shaking her head): no. I'm afraid we can't find her anywhere. She covered her tracks better than you did...

Shinji (to himself): figures....

Misato: So...will you come?

Shinji did not know what to do. All he wanted to do was live his this new life of his. He actually felt happy for the first time. Why give that up to go back to a life of misery and pain?

However, he always felt that something was missing in this new life of his, like he forgot to do something else...maybe...this invitation would set things straight and open his eyes to what he was missing...

Shinji: You know...for once in my life...I decided not to run away anymore. That happened six years ago. I changed for the better. But...I still ran.

Misato remained silent.

Shinji: I started this new life, hoping to get rid of the pain. It worked: I feel much happier now, but I feel that I have unfinished buisness in my old life to attend to. Maybe...if I finish the problems I made in the first place...then I can continue my new life with a better conscious. If I stop running...I may find a greater purpose in my life.

Misato: Does that mean...you are coming back?

Shinji: Yeah. I'm tired of running. I'll go see the Eva. After that, I'm never going back again.

Setting: Outskirts of the newly rebuilt Tokyo-3.

* * *

The sun rose up as Shinji awoke to unfamiliar surroundings. He looked outside and noticed that he was moving...at 80 mph on a 50 mph road.

Shinji: Misato! Could you please slow down a bit?! This is crazy!

Misato looks over at the terrified Shinji

Misato: Oh, so you're awake.

Shinji (shouting): Watch the fucking road please!

Misato looks out the window and spots the large truck she was a collision course with. With her sharp reflexes, she steered the car away from impact and continued down her side of the road.

Misato: Who taught you that language anyway, certainly not me...

Shinji smiled. It was certainly nice to be around her again. Of course, that wouldn't stop him from going back to his home at the shop.

He lied back and decided it was probably best to relax.

Misato: So, what do you see in you see in your new life anyway? Looks pretty lonely if you ask me.

Shinji: Sometimes it is, but its not as bad as before...besides...all I got to do is repair cars all day, drink a beer before bed, and relax on weekends. Sounds like a plan to me.

Misato was still uncertain about it.

Misato: I guess...

Shinji: I also get all the time in the world to think to myself.

Misato: what do you think about?

Shinji knew who was always on his mind: Asuka. There was no way he could erase her from his memory, even if he tried. Of course, he would never tell Misato that...

Misato: you think about Asuka don't you?

Shinji eyes grew so wide that they nearly popped out of his sockets.

Shinji: how did yo-

Misato: It was kind of obvious Shinji. The way you would always look at her...I was surprised that she didn't notice.

Shinji:...Guess I can't hide it forever.

Misato: Speaking of hiding, I heard that you knew she ran away, and that you went after her.

Shinji started getting that sinking feeling again.

Shinji: yeah...she left me a note...basically she said she hated me and didn't want me to follow her

Misato: did you?

Shinji: no.

Misato: why not? You know as well as I do that she never TRULY hated you. She must have been distressed again...

Misato hit the nail on the head again. Shinji DID know now that Auska did not hate him, and that she was very distressed that day...but...he still wondered why she ran...

Shinji: I guess I was running away away from my problems, from her.

Misato: Maybe you should go after her...some girls like that.

Shinji: If you can't find her what makes you think I can?

Misato: Because you still love her.

Shinji and Misato remained quiet until they arrived to Tokyo-3. Shinji had no way to respond to Misato's last comment because, once again, she was right. He should go after Asuka. But...if he did...would he be unable to live the life he was happy with right now?

Shinji was getting tired of thinking of things like that right now. All he wanted to do was get the Eva dismantled and then leave. Enough said.

Misato: We're here.

Shinji looked out the window. His jaw dropped in complete astonishment. The city of rubble that he once knew was completely rebuilt. In fact, it was better than ever. It had to be at least twice the size of what it originally was, and everything seemed brand new and untouched. The sleek, metallic skyscrapers stood over two hundred stories high, the streets were covered with cars and trolleys, and the sidewalks were cleaner than before pre-Third Impact. It was the most beautiful metropolis in all of Japan.

Shinji: What happened!? Everthing has...changed.

Misato: That's right. Since NERV has been dismantled, we donated all the technology and structures back to the city. They sold most of the technology so that they can finance the construction, but some of the technology we gave them is still in use in the city.

Shinji could not believe that this all happened in six years. It must have been a hell of a time cleaning up this place. Maybe he should have helped. All of this mess was practically his fault anyway.

Shinji (to himself): No! That life is done with! I just came for the Eva, and that's it.

The car came to a stop

Misato: Well, here we are. Are you sure you're ready for this?

Shinji:...yeah. Lets go.

* * *

Deep in the bowels of NERV headquarters lurks two monsters. One of the beasts has been defeated, completely torn apart by its foes. The other was skewered with a large spear like object that was once called the Lance of Longinus. Unlike the previous monster, this one was fully operational and very much capable of moving. These deadly monstrosities are known as the Evangelions.

It was very little known fact, even to NERV's employees, that the Evas held the souls of the mothers of the two remaining pilots. However, the pilots learned of this dark secret just before Third Impact, in which, they accepted the fact that they were never coming back as long as they are in Eva.

Shinji looked at the purple behemoth before him. This was Eva unit one: his very own Evangelion as well as his own mother. He had given the permission for this thing to be dismantled, which would hopefully release the soul of his poor dear mother.

Shinji (quietly): the end is almost here mother. Soon, you will be free.

Misato stood next to Shinji and looked up at the Eva as well. She couldn't believe it either: that thing still had Shinji's mother trapped inside. Just thinking about made here want to get out of this place even more.

Releasing the the Eva's sould was the best and only thing she could do for Shinji now.

Misato: I'm going to go up to the control room. You can stay here as long as you like. We won't be dismantling for a couple of hours anyway. A lot of preparation involved.

Misato disappeared from the bridge and headed up the stairway, leaving just Shinji and the Eva alone.

Shinji sat on the bridge and looked up at his mother's temporary body.

Shinji: Well...I guess this is it mom.

Silence.

Shinji: You know, now that we are dismantling the Eva, you can go to...you know...heaven. Maybe you'll find father there.

Just thinking of his father left a bad taste in his mouth.

Shinji: then again...maybe he's alive and hiding somewhere. Misato did say that he never came back, that's why she is the commander now. I guess father would be a criminal, trying to destroy humanity and all...

Silence.

Shinji sighed and stood up. He walked to door and stopped right in front it to say one last thing.

Shinji: at least it's over now.

_No. It is not over yet._

Shinji was startled by the voice and turned around quickly. No one else seemed to be in the room and that sure as hell didn't come from the intercom.

Shinji: wh-who's there?! Answer me?!

_I am the one who spoke to you __Shinji._

Shinji looked up slowly and stared at the Eva face to face. Its eyes were glowing brightly. It wouldn't do that useless...it was activated...

Shinji: No way...did you just speak to me...

Eva: _yes. Don't you recognize me?_

Shinji did recognize that voice, but it just couldn't be possible...

Shinji: Rei...

Eva:_ that's right Ikari._

Shinji: But...why are you in the Eva?

Eva:_ Because Shinji, your mother and I are somewhat the same. I was cloned from some of your mothers remaining DNA as well as Liltih_._ I am part of every living human being on this Earth, including the Evangelion._

Shinji:...you're really my mother? This whole time you were my mother?

Eva:_ Siblings would be more accurate._

Shinji thought back to the times he had looked at Rei. He had always found her very sexy, but now, this was so wrong.

Shinji: oh god. I'm really fucked up.

Eva:_ You didn't know Shinji. Now listen to me, there is not much time._

Shinji: yeah?

Eva:_ The Eva must not be dismantled. It still holds a purpose in this world. You must get it away from here!_

Shinji: What?! You want to pilot Eva again?! No way! I already told Misato, I just came to watch the Eva be dismantled and then I'm going back home, to my real life.

Eva:_ Please Shinji. As your blood relative I'm asking you to understand. There is a darkness coming. A great darkness, which only you can defeat. You must pilot the Eva again, or else the world will be nothing but the wasteland you saw at Third Impact._

Shinji: No way. Really? I've heard this before, right before Third Impact. We BOTH know how that turned out.

Eva:_...If you won't do it for the world, then will you do it for pilot Sorhyu?_

Shinji remained silent, but he listened intently.

Eva:_ I know how you feel about her and I can help you find her again._

Shinji: you can...help me find Asuka again?

Eva:_ Yes. In exchange, you must get us out of NERV headquarters. We must go somewhere far away_

Shinji stared at the ground below him. If he went with the Eva, he could find Asuka and tell her everything he wanted to tell her six years ago. But if he did, he may lose the new life he had worked so hard to gain.

Eva: _Please Shinji...it is alright to run away..._

Silence.

Eva: _Shinji..._

Shinji looked up at the Eva with a determined grin on his face.

Shinji: I will run.

* * *

Misato stood at Central Dogma while taking another sip of her coffee. The next thing she knew, a huge quake knocked the coffee all over uniform.

Misato: WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!

Personnel 1: It's the Eva commander! Its breaking out of it's containment facility!

Misato: No way! Who can possibly be controlli-

She stopped in mid sentence and quickly looked over at the control panel.

Misato: Quick! Can you give me a visual inside the cockpit?!

The screen on the control panel flickered on.

Personnel 2: visual confirmed.

Misato looked at screen in shock and confusion. The person pirating the Eva, was obviously the only person who could control it.

Misato: Shinji?! What the hell are you doing?!

Personnel 1: He can't here us commander! The Eva cut off the Audio input.

Misato: Damn it.

Inside the plug, Shinji used the main controls to break free from the Restraints. The Eva swung it arms at the bridge, breaking it like it was nothing more than a plastic model. Now all that was left to do was to use the catapult to reach the surface.

Shinji: all right. Now how do we activate the catapult?!

Eva: _release the clamps at both ends of the launch platform and get ready to fly..._

Shinji obeyed and ran over to the first clamp and tried to rip it open with his bare hands. The first clamp gave in.

Misato: He's trying to get out through the catapult! Quick, disable it!

Shinji broke off the second clamp and fell backwards a bit as the catapult took off at terminal velocity.

Shinji: All right. We're almost there...

The catapult stopped abruptly, causing the Eva to fly twenty feet up. Shinji quickly regained control and landed on his feet.

Shinji: Shit! They must have stopped the catapult!

Eva: _Don't worry. I was hoping this would happen, or else the catapult would be busting through solid concrete._

Shinji: Oh yeah.

Shinji had forgotten that Tokyo-3 was rebuilt, meaning the catapults were not meant to go up to the surface.

Shinji: Fine. We'll just get out the hard way!

Shinji punched at the concrete wall closest to him, determined to bust straight through. If they couldn't fly out, they'll climb on out!

Misato: Oh shit. He's trying to get into the geofront!

Personnel 3: Commander, look at this!

Misato ran up to the personnel and looked down at the display screen.

Misato: what is it?

She couldn't believe it. It was impossible...

Misato: His Synch ratio is up to 800%! No way! The Eva aren't capable of that capacity!

Personnel 3: There's more...we broke off the Umbilical cord 80 seconds ago and he is still running! The Eva's power should be completely dead!

All Misato could do now was stare. The Evas were not MEANT to do this...

Misato: This is impossible...

Personnel 1: commander! The Eva has just broken through the concrete and is making its way to the surface!

Shinji jumped off the catapult platform and grabbed on to some nearby cables. He was in the Geofront now, and the cables probably carried the power used throughout the facilities.

Shinji: All right. Lets get going.

Shinji swung the cable and jumped off to the next one. He swung on that one and jumped off toward the next one. However, his grip was not so perfect this time.

One hand of the Eva slipped but Shinji quickly grabbed back on to the cable. However, he just hung there, unwilling to move. If he should slip again....he did not even want to think about it.

Shinji: I gotta keep going.

Shinji then remembered the time he had to carry Asuka up the pile of rubble. He remembered slipping and his arm being broken from nearly falling. He remembered not feeling so much pain when that happened. He didn't give up then...

Shinji: why should I give up now?!

Shinji swung a in semi-circle around the cable and landed on top of it. He used the cable as a slingshot to get to the next one. He then jumped off that one to the nearest ledge. He was only thirty feet from the surface now...

Personnel: commander! The Eva's almost to the surface!

Misato: Damn it! Shinji...

Shinji just stood and looked up at the ground above him.

Shinji: Are you sure its okay to bust through there? I mean, there may be a street straight above us...

Eva:_ We won't know until we try Shinji._

Shinji: right. Here we go!

* * *

The streets of New Tokyo-3 were particularly busy that day. Everyone just passed each other like usual, each to their own business. Nothing real special happened, it was a pretty typical day as a matter of fact. The traffic along Main Street claimed to have felt some rumbling below them, but besides that, nothing special happened. No one gave the rumbling a second thought. 

They really should have.

Suddenly the rumbling below Main Street started getting louder. Anxious citizens got out of there vehicles and started thinking that it was probably best to run.

It was a good thing they did because at that moment, a huge purple monster had just popped out of the street like it was made of paper.

Most of the spectators screamed and ran away, while others stayed and looked at this wondrous yet horrendous sight.

Eva: _We are free now Shinji, but first we must get as far away from NERV as possible._

Shinji: Right. We should find a cave or something to hide in. Lets get outta here!

The monster jumped from the street to the nearest building, scaling the large skyscraper with relative ease and agility. Once it got to the top, it proceeded to jump to the next rooftop. The skyscraper rumbled from top to bottom, terrifying all the people inside. As far as they were concern, this was just another earthquake. But then one of the tower's employees looked out the window and noticed a large, gargantuan seemingly jumping from the top of their building. All the others looked at the creature as if he represented some kind of omen. To them, the Evangelion never meant that good things were coming.

The Eva jumped from the top of the next skyscraper as all the attendants of that building looked to see what caused the commotion. Like everyone else in town, all they saw was a large figure jumping off their building, proceeding to jump to the next tower.

The monster did not jump to next skyscraper however. Instead, It landed in the middle of the nearest highway, creating a huge crater right in the middle of the street. Luckily for Shinji, the street was empty when he landed.

The Eva was now at the outskirts of Tokyo-3 at long last. Its last objective was now to disappear into the mountain range. The mountains spanned for miles, meaning there had to be place for the Eva to hide out in. No one would ever find them there.

Shinji: We did it....We're out...

The Eva ran up mountain path until it was out of sight of the terrified Tokyo-3 citizens. Shinji had successfully escaped NERV headquarters.

No one knew what to do at this point. As far as the citizens of New Tokyo-3 were concerned, this was the day the Evangelion returned from the dead. Even though the Eva's trail of destruction was minor, the people of this city feared that there was more to come.

All the display screens down in Central Dogma flickered off. There was nothing but static now...

Personnel 2: We lost visual commander. The Eva escaped through the mountains.

Misato did not know what to make of the situation now.

Misato (quietly): what the hell just happened?

* * *

End of chapter 3

Whew. That chapter was a bit longer than the others. This chapter was pretty hard to write because I've never written an action sequence before. It sure is not the best chapter yet, but oh well. As usual, please review! Later!


	4. Runaways

Disclaimer: I don't own Eva. Eva owns my soul.

Hey everybody! I'm back again, but here's the deal. I just started my first semester at college, so this fic may not be updated as quick as I would like it. However, I will continue to write this story, just not as fast. The reveiws have been helping a lot too, so please continue reveiwing!

Well with that out of the way, here is the next chapter!

* * *

Chapter 4: Runaways 

Setting: Large apartment complex in Tokyo-2. 6 years after Impact and Resurrection.

Tokyo-2 was the second largest metropolis in all of Japan, but it was really no smaller than Tokyo-3 in actuality. It was only by a small margin that Tokyo-3 was dubbed the biggest city, but it surely got the title because of how beautiful the city looked. Tokyo-2, on the other hand, was quite possibly the dreariest city on the whole planet.

It never quit raining in Tokyo-2, meaning that sunlight was a impossibility in this town. The rain would always come down at a constant rate, but not bad enough to flood the streets. This kind of weather often lead it's citizens to wonder if Tokyo-2 was destined for people with deep emotional scars or depressing lives. The rain symbolized the pain and discomfort the citizens would feel, crashing down onto the ground the same way people would hit rock bottom when they reached a devestating dead end. Thus, The city was appropriately dubbed "The City of Broken Souls".

This city was just the ideal place for a one Asuka Langley Sorhyu. She ran away, hoping to start a new life away from her horrible old existence. The problem was, she really had nowhere to go. All she knew was that her life was broken, and the only thing she wanted to do was run to a place where there were others like her. There, she may find a much more rewarding life; a life in which she would be happy. It sure as hell would beat that old life she had with the glory-hogging baka, Shinji.

That's how she ended up in this city. The hard part for her was finding a decent paying job so she was able to support herself. First, she had to change her identity to keep Shinji off her trial, just in case he should ever be stupid enough to look for her. Then, she took whatever money she had saved up to pay for the necessities: food, clothes, and a place to live.

She managed to find a small six-mat apartment at a rather large complex. It was cheap, but the yen she had left would not support her for much longer. Fortunately, she somehow mananged to score a job as a waitress at a very expensive restaurant. Asuka wondered why they hired her anyway; she had no experience as a waitress, let alone she has never had a job except for piloting the Eva. The best explanation was that she was very beautiful and would be perfect for a job like that.

Nonetheless, the job paid enough for her to support herself and herself only. She would work her shift, pay the bills, and used the rest on herself. It was her way of living, and she loved it.

Over time, Asuka had begun to realize the error of her own personality. She finally understood that without her Eva, people would not want her anymore. However, she learned that a lot less arrogance and a little more kindness could go a long way. Asuka treated people the way she wanted to be treated now: with respect. To people who had once known her long ago, this kind of change seemed to be practically impossible. But it is true that people can change immensely while growing up, and Asuka was no exception. She was now a more responsible woman, taking care of herself and living a pretty decent life.

However...

She did have a little essence of her old self deep inside of her. For the last six years, she had let the true side of herself speak for her; but the little spark of arrogance she had left was being saved for someone special: the baka. He had taken the chance for happiness in her old life, and if it weren't for him, she would not have to run away in the first place. He had to pay.

Asuka awoke in her little, six mat apartment and looked out the window. Rain again. Nothing unusual. Asuka stood up and walked a few feet to her bathroom; she had to work a morning shift today, so there was very little time to get ready. She looked at the mirror and beheld the beautiful young woman the little girl had become. Typically, Asuka would have bragged about how perfect she was to the others at work, but that Asuka was gone now All that was important now was keeping her job. Bragging like that would surely hurt her job security.

Asuka stared at the face that looked back at her in the reflection. Her left eye was a slightly different color than her other one. Probably because of what happened after Third Impact.

Asuka slowly felt the anger coming out of her again.

Asuka (to herself): Its all his fault...if I ever find that baka again....

Asuka really did have mixed feelings when it came to thinking about Shinji. Sometimes, she wanted him to be as far away from her as possible. Other times, she wanted him to right in front of her face so she could beat the living crap out of him. It was these feelings that tormented her the most.

But she did know that she hated him with all her heart...right?

Asuka was so deep in that line of thought that she did not notice that she was fully clothed in her waitress apparel. She looked over at the clock and freaked out. She had five minutes till her shift started. She darted out of the door and ran down the stairs into the water-drenched streets of Tokyo-2.

Asuka: Scheiss! The baka did it to me again!

Asuka ran pass the crowd of people on the street, occasionally ramming a bystander.

Asuka: Sorry! I apologize! Excuse Me!

Asuka made her way past crowd of people and ran down a less crowded sidewalk on the other side of the street. She only had a few blocks left. She ran past a television store and failed to look at the newsbreak being broadcasted to the TVs on display. If Asuka had, she would have heard of a rather odd "purple monster" terrorizing the neighboring city...

Asuka slowed down to a casual walk as she entered her place of work, _The Royal Truffle._ She sighed with relief; she made it with two minutes to spare...

Asuka: I really got to keep my head on straight...that's the twelfth time this year...

Boss: Hey, Aki, you were almost late! Did something happen?

Asuka (or Aki, her alias) turned her head to the boss and radiated a brilliant smile at him.

Asuka: No, I'm all right sir. I'm sorry if I worried you.

The boss blushed slightly. She had such a beautiful smile, a _true_ smile. Every guy that met her knew that.

Boss: that's all right. Just be careful about your timing from now on. Now, lets get to work.

Asuka: Yes sir!

Asuka then went into job mode and began working furiously. She would take the orders, and get them out of the kitchen in no time. This girl was a machine when it came to working and the customers absolutely loved her. Her wonderful optimism often broke the bleakness that surrounded the city everyday. Everyone agreed that she was, most possibly, the best waitress in Tokyo-2.

Asuka then proceeded to the bar for the first time that day. She had been busy taking orders in the main dining hall; now she had to take care of the other customers in the building. Asuka quickly gathered the order and proceeded to the kitchen. Ten minutes later, she emerged into the dining hall and once again walked into the bar area. She took the time to look up at the television set to see what was going on. She had been hearing that something big happened in New Tokyo-3, but she no idea what. She glanced at the set quickly and then returned to her original state of concentration.

Television: Ladies and Gentlemen, we now have an update on the "mysterious purple monster incident" that has just occurred in downtown Tokyo-3.

Asuka stopped in her tracks and her concentration broke instantly. She dropped the order with no regret, and slowly turned her head towards the television.

Television: As we stated before, the monster first appeared to jump straight out of the ground as if there was some secret underground cave where it was resting...

Asuka (to herself): NERV headquarters...it can't be possible...

The citizens of Tokyo-2 knew nothing on the incident of involving the Evas and the angels. Hell, none of them had ever heard of an underground NERV facility. To them, this all just seemed to be some phemoneon in science.

Asuka knew what the 'monster' was, but what the hell was going on here...

Television: The monster then continued its rampage by jumping a top the various high rises and then disappeared into the mountains. We know go to Jiro Takesun who is on the scene of the destruction.

Jiro: Sho, we do not have any idea what's going on here. But as you can see, this monster is very destructive and very agile. What is even odder is the local government officials have told the citizens not talk about what happened during this devastating incident. It is as if this thing is a product of government experimentation.

Asuka (to herself): You bet your ass it is. But it is not just any ordinary monster you read about in fairy tales...

Jiro: In fact, the only reason we know of this incident is through the video footage taken by numerous citizens.

Sho: Right. let's roll that clip again.

The TV showed a clip of the purple Eva beast jumping straight out of the ground, and leaping high into the air.

Asuka stared at the footage in horror. It was Shinji' s Eva all right. But...that was impossible. The Eva was still in space, wasn't it? And who was piloting it now?

Asuka stiffened suddenly, avoiding the commotion all around her. She could hear her boss addressing her, but she didn't care.

She knew what was going on. Shinji was back.

Sho: Ladies and Gentlemen, I have just received word that the beast appeared to be heading towards...Tokyo-2...right before it disappeared into the wilderness. Now this is not proven fact, but...

Asuka collapsed to the ground. All the people in the bar were startled by the action and looked down at her with concern. A couple of the customers helped the young girl off of the ground and onto her feet. She did not liked being helped like that, but it didn't matter right now.

Shinji was back. And he was heading her way.

* * *

Setting: A cave deep in the mountains. 

Sho: ...citizens should take the action of preparing themselves with the proper supplies if the monster should ever appear in the city...

Shinji turned off the screen inside of the plug. He managed to get outside reception to see what was going on, but now he wished he hadn't. There was nothing good that he wanted to hear. They knew where his destination was now. He had to think of a way out of this or else he was gonna be in a shit load of trouble.

Shinji: Well...at least they won't be able to find this cave. Running trough the river should cover our tracks if the footsteps weren't too deep...

Eva: don't worry. I've managed to configure the Eva's own gravitational field a bit. Its footsteps are aware to the terrain, meaning tracks would be impossible.

Shinji relaxed a little after hearing this.

Shinji: Good. That's a relief. But I still need to find a way to get to Tokyo-2 without being caught.

Eva: Why don't we try to...

Shinji: What do mean by 'we'?

Shinji looked up at the Eva with a slight hint of curiousity.

Eva: Don't you want me to go with you?

Shinji: Come on Rei! You don't exactly fit the status quo. Besides, if you didn't already know, the feds are looking for you.

Eva:...

Shinji: I did my part of the deal. Now you have to do yours. After that we go our separate ways.

Eva: Are you so dense Ikari?

Shinji shot a nasty glare at the machine.

Shinji: What did you say?!

Eva: I already told you, there is evil approaching us soon. I can't just leave you yet.

Shinji: You don't need me to save the world. I just cause catastrophe, that's all. Ya know that.

Eva: You are wrong. The result of the impact was not your fault. It would not have happened any other way.

Shinji:...

Eva: Death and Rebirth was destined to occur. You were chosen to be the host for that event: the hero of this world. You must take the responsibility as such.

Shinji:...Whatever. Just tell me where Asuka's at.

Eva: sigh. Fine. But you won't be able to find her so easily.

Shinji: How so?

Eva: Think about it. I was able to sense her presence in Tokyo-2, but I cannot tell which street or address she lives at. If we can get into the city, there will be a better range of detection and I can find her exact location.

Shinji: We already talked about this. You can't go into the city like that.

Eva: Exactly. I cannot go like this, but I will be able to transmit my soul into a special device inside the plug. You will find it next to the door.

Shinji stepped into the discarded plug and grabbed a small machine attached to the inside. It was the same size as a small cell phone.

Eva: This device was the distress beacon we used in case the plug could not be located. I've managed to convert my very essence into its power source, making me able to help you find Asuka. It works just like a cell phone: you talk to me through the mouthpiece and I'll tell you when we are close to Asuka. That simple.

Shinji: Why didn't you tell me sooner?

Eva: the Eva will become idle when I get into the device. Anything could happen to it and we would not know.

Shinji: Oh, well. We don't need it anymore Rei.

Shinji feels a slight rumble coming from the phone and reacts by talking into the speaker. She got out of the Eva fast...

Shinji: Can you hear me Rei?

Rei: Yes Ikari.

Shinji: Good. Let's go. We can hitchhike there. No one here knows who I am, so we can walk in the open.

Rei: But you should probably get a disguise to avoid government agents and the military. They know who you are...

Shinji: sigh. All right...all right...I'll go incognito just in case.

Shinji put the phone in his pocket and began making tracks toward Tokyo-2. Meanwhile, Rei took the opportunity to recap on what happened so far. Her plan was working perfectly. She knew Ikari needed a reason to save the planet, and she had just set it up for him. It was all up to Shinji now...

* * *

Setting: NERV Headquarters 

Personnel 2: The Eva still has not been located commander. It has disappeared for the past 24 hours now...

Misato: Keep looking. The United Nations said they would help by blocking the borders of the mountains. It won't get out without us knowing.

Personnel 1: I don't understand. Why don't we just tell them about who is piloting the Eva?! We could have gotten the Eva back by now!

Misato gave the personnel a petrifying glare.

Misato: If we exposed Shinji to the world, he would surely die at the hands of the very people he protected before the Impact. Didn't you hear the people out there? They want the 'monster' dead! What if they found out a boy was running the show?

Personnel 1:..I'm sorry...I did not mean it like that...

Misato: Shinji is more important than the Eva right now. Find him alive. I want to talk to him personally. There is something going on inside his head...

* * *

Setting: Outskirts of Tokyo-2. Sunrise. 

Truck Driver: Where'd ya say you were headed? Tokyo-2?

The truck driver looked over at his foreign companion. The stowaway had a short yet bushy beard and a mustache to match. His clothes were rather damp and his cap was down right ugly.

Oh well...It was the best Shinji could come up with on such short notice.

Shinji: Jah. Zats de place.

Truck Driver: And why are you so wet? You get washed up on shore or something?

Shinji looked down and forgot that he was soaking in LCL; the plug was full of it. He should have really washed up before jumping into action.

Shinji: Oh, I have been working out near ze river all day. Ve vere constructing a new bridge and before I knew it, I fell in ze river.

Truck driver: ok, I see.

Shinji hated faking this German accent. He sounded like a complete moron using it.

A few minutes later, the driver decided to break the silence

Truck Driver: You have family in the city?

Shinji: jah. My wife.

Truck Driver: oh yeah? What is she like?

Shinji told him the first thing that came to mind.

Shinji: She can be rather whiny at some points, but, she is ze most vonderful woman from all of Germany. I met her when I moved to Germany ten years ago, and I was never able to keep my eyes off her gorgeous red hair and her lovely smile.'sigh' We did usually get along well, but sometimes ve vould have arguments that vould get out of hand . It got so bad, that I left Germany and came back home a year ago. She followed me; she told me that she vas sorry and she wanted to be vith me; and I couldn't deny my feelings for her either...and vell...you know vats next...

Shinji stopped right there. If Asuka was here to hear any of this, he could kiss his balls goodbye. That was quite possibly the lamest story he has ever told, even if there was some truth to it.

Truck Driver: Yeh, that's the same way with my wife. The dang broad can't stop nagging at me for five minutes. Don't worry. I'll bring you to the city.

Shinji: Thank you very....vats zat?

Shinji looked out the window. There was several military vehicles and barricades set up along the highway. A few soldiers stood at the barricade, as if waiting for someone to drive up.

Truck Driver: Yeah, the UN decided to set up barricades all over the mountain roads. They're still looking for that big ass monster thing, but that barricade sure as hell won't stop it.

Shinji stiffened a bit. The barricade couldn't stop the Eva, but it could stop trucks with wanted hitchhikers inside. The UN knew about his position in NERV, and if they found out it was him in here, he would have to face the wrath of Misato.

He feared that most of all.

A solider approached the passenger side of the truck and looked up inside of it.

Shinji tried to keep casual....

Shinji: Guten Morgen. I mean...( raises his hand) o-hay-ou...

...but failed

The solider looked over at the scruffy foreigner with suspicion.

Solider:....whatever. Where ya two headed?

Truck Driver: This trucks hauling food sir. We're just delivering it to the city

Another solider opened the back of the truck and looked around while the other one kept his eyes on the passengers.

Finally, the solider in the back came out.

Solider 2: Its all clear Sarge. They're ok to go.

Solider: All right go ahead.

The Truck driver put the truck into gear and prepared to take off. Then the solider turned back toward the cab suddenly.

Solider: Hey you!

Shinji froze in terror and slowly turned his head towards to sergeant.

Shinji: j-ja?

The soldier looked straight at Shinji and kept silent for a couple of seconds.

Solider: Learn to speak japanese. That was terrible.

Shinji: ja. Ok.

The truck took off and Shinji fell back in relief. That was way too close.

Truck Driver: Don't let him get to you. Your speaking is just fine.

Shinji looked at the driver with slight disbelief. He was kind of suprised that this guy hasn't caught on yet either...

...but he should probably quit while he was ahead.

Shinji: thank you.

* * *

Setting: Tokyo-2 

The truck pulled up to the side of an empty street inside the edge of the city. Shinji jumped out and looked up at the driver.

Shinji: thank you for ze ride.

Truck Driver: yeah, I'm only sorry that I couldn't take you farther into the city, but I only need to go this far. You better get home before you wife gets pissed. See ya around!

Shinji waited till the truck was out of view. The instant it turned the corner, Shinji yanked off his fake beard and cap. It felt good getting that shit off.

Shinji: Whew! That was weird.

The phone in his pocket rumbled and Shinji quickly picked it up.

Rei: where did you get that disguise anyway?

Shinji: I found it in the cave. It belonged to that skeleton in the corner.

Rei: That's disturbing.

Shinji: Yeah, the beard was a little white and fragile, but I got it to stay. I thought it looked pretty good for a half-assed oufit...

Rei: Not Really. It looked rather disgusting.

Shinji pretended to sound hurt by that comment.

Shinji: ow... my pride......anyway, where do we start?

Rei: Her presence is coming from the north, towards the center of the city. We shall head there.

Shinji: All right, let's go. Asuka's waiting for us...

He smirked a little.

Shinji: She just doesn't know it yet.

At that point, Operation 'find Asuka' had finally begun.

* * *

End of Chapter 4 

Honestly, that chapter was more of a 'fill in' chapter if you know what I mean. The only really important plot point is the change of location, which will remain to be Tokyo-2 for a while. I do plan a LOT of Shinji/Asuka for the next few chapters because I feel that there is a lack of interaction between them (you cannot have a good romance story if the two characters don't interact!).

Besides that, I will try to udpate the story as soon as I can. oh, and R&R please:)

I'll see you all later!


	5. When Shinji found Asuka

Disclaimer: ......what if I did own Eva.....hmmm.....oh well, I don't.

Okay, okay, okay....here's the deal. Homework has been at a minimum lately, so I had more time than I thought to do this chapter. I hope that the homework flow stays like this for a long long time...

I've been waiting a long time to do a chapter like this, so I'am rather pleased with how it turned out. Here ya go!

* * *

Chapter 5: When Shinji Found Asuka. 

Setting: Deep inside Tokyo-2. Early Afternoon.

Shinji: WHERE THE HELL ARE WE?!

Shinji's voice's could be heard throughout the whole city. And if anyone could have guessed, he who yelled out was kind of irriatated. Ok, so he was extremely irriated; as a matter of fact, he was down right pissed off. But who could blame him? He and Rei have been searching this whole damn city for Asuka since early that morning. And so far, they had not found even the slightest hint of red hair anywhere.

Shinji looked around him. Everyone on the sidewalk was staring at him like he was a cheap street performer.

Shinji (nervously): kon-ni-chi-wa..?

The spectators just shook their heads and continued on with their business, not giving any thought to the weirdo without the umbrella.

Shinji did notice that he didn't have an umbrella on hand, but how the hell was he supposed to know that this city left the rain on all the time?

Shinji picked up his phone and began speaking to Rei again.

Shinji:....all right....she's supposed to be nearby....but how hard can it be to find her in this crowd of freakin' zombies?! What the hell is wrong with this city anyway?!

Rei: Many people call this place "the City of Broken Souls". It was given the name because the majority of the populace has supposedly suffered severe emotional drama. Of course, that's just an urban legend around here. Everyone's like this because of the atmosphere. It rains all the time around her. Imagine living in a world with no sunlight at all.

Shinji: Yeah. I'd get bummed out like that if it rained all time. I can see why people think that the city is home to thousands of 'broken souls'. It's because of this rain....

Considering this fact, it was no wonder that Asuka decided to run away here. She could be among others that felt the same way she felt. It was perfectly logical. But this place was just way too bleak for _any_ kind person, why would you want this existence?

Shinji: Man, this place is really starting to piss me off. We can't find Asuka anywhere, everyone's got the 'rainy day blues' 24/7, and the damn UN is still looking for us!

Rei: Calm down Ikari...We haven't even checked the buildings in this region yet. I traced her spot to this part of town, and she is obviously not on the street. So the most logical approach would be to check the surrounding structures. If I can get into one of the buildings, we may find her.

Shinji:...sigh...sorry. All right, we'll check the buildings then.

Rei: good. But there is a problem...

Shinji:...What Rei?

Shinji looked all around him to see what was the matter. He never did take the opportunity to look at the scenery around him.

His eyes got all big again.

The buildings he was supposed to check were all VERY tall high rises that seemed to go all the way out to the sky. Apparently, he was in the good side of town....

Shinji: oh fuck. This is gonna suck so bad...

* * *

Meanwhile, in one of those buildings, Asuka sat on a chair against the side of the kitchen wall. The restaurant was as busy as ever, and she needed this break more than anything; she had been pushing herself too hard lately... 

Boss: Aki, could I speak to you for a moment?

Asuka tilted her head to the side and looked at her supervisor with tired eyes. He just happened to pop out of nowhere again...

Asuka: what is it?

Boss: It's just that, well, you haven't been yourself since you collapsed yesterday. Are you sure you're all right?

Asuka: I'm fine. I just was a little surprised by what happened in Tokyo-3, that's all...

Boss: I don't know...pardon me saying so but ever since then, you'd been screwing up left and right. The customers are starting to get concerned too.

Asuka:.....

Boss: You should probably take the rest of the day off. Go to bed you know. Get your head all cleared up.

Asuka decided that it was best for her to give in. She did not want to hurt her performance anymore.

Asuka: I guess you're right....I really need to rest. But I'll be back first thing tomorrow morning, ok?

The boss just smiled with relief.

Boss: sure. Take all the time you need.

Asuka grabbed her coat and umbrella while going through the back entrance. Once again, the rain was still there. She opened the umbrella and began talking to herself again.

Asuka: That stupid baka. Even when he's not around he's still bothering me...why can't I get him out of my head...

Little did Asuka know that the man she was just thinking about had just stepped out of the building right near her.

* * *

Shinji: Well she ain't in that one..... 

Rei: Ikari! I found her!

Shinji got excited all the sudden.

Shinji: REALLY?! WHERE?!

Rei: 10 feet straight ahead! Look!

Asuka heard a couple of voices yelling behind her. She recognized one of them right away, but she wish she couldn't.

It was him.

It was purely coincidence, but this moment had come at last. She turned her head slowly and looked at the man in front of her. He was back.

* * *

Shinji looked straight ahead on the sidewalk and spotted a feminine figure with lovely red hair looking right at him. She looked just as surprised as he was, and for Shinji, that was EXTREMELY surprised. 

It was her.

Shinji: ASUKA!

The minute Asuka heard her name being called out, she began feeling the anger rising up out of her again. She wanted to go over and just kick the living crap out of him, but another part of hear told her to run away.

Asuka didn't know what to do. She knew he would show up like this sooner or later, but she had no idea on what to do next. As much as she hated to admit it, the best option would be to run, to get as far away from him as possible.

Shinji saw Asuka's expression changing from surprise to utter fear.

Shinji (to himself): oh no...what's wrong now...

She dropped her umbrella and started sprinting down the sidewalk. She was running again; running away from her problems. But Shinji wasn't gonna let that happen.

He clutched the cell phone tightly and began darting down the street after Asuka.

Asuka looked back in terror and saw that the baka was heading right for her! She couldn't take this. Not now.

Asuka: LEAVE ME ALONE!

Asuka started running faster while ramming into the crowd of people simultaneously. She was already several feet ahead of him.

Shinji looked in bewilderment.

Shinji: Damn, I thought I was fast. But she can't keep this up for long...

Shinji hurdled over the few people who suffered Asuka's battering ram-like strength. He was not getting tired yet, and Asuka was most likely capable of slowing down first.

He was right. Asuka had been exhausted all day, and that did not help her chances right now. She starting tripping on her feet a little, but she still kept a fast pace. Her body was going into overdrive and she would surely pass out if she did not slow down a bit.

Asuka: G-go....pant...away....pant...please...

The ground beneath her was starting to get very slippery from the rain...

Asuka:....please...

She tripped.

Asuka felt her body fly up in the air as if a giant bird had picked her up and swooped her into the sky. But then she felt herself plummeting to the wet ground below her. She hit the solid concrete surface, hard.

Shinji: Asuka!

Shinji quickly closed the running gap between them and sat next to Asuka as she tried to get off the ground.

Shinji: Asuka, are you ok?

Shinji tried putting a hand on her shoulder, but she slapped it away with the little strength she had.

Asuka: I'm fine just go away! Please...just...go....aw...

Asuka collapsed on Shinji's lap. She had completely exhausted herself out.

Shinji: Asuka...

He looked down at her and checked to see if she was still breathing. She was fine. The fall didn't do any damage to her, it was the fact that she needed sleep desperately.

Shinji had done it. He found her. Probably not in the best way, but he found her.

Shinji (to himself): that's a fine way to make a good impression. Scare the girl to death, and then make her pass out.

Shinji lifted Asuka off the ground and sighed.

Shinji: I really need work on my social skills...

* * *

Asuka opened her eyes and saw that she was in some kind of white room, a void if you will. She couldn't see anything in this room; in fact, she couldn't even see her hands or anything. 

She did her voices coming from this void though. But they weren't the voices of the baka or the girl he was talking with. The voices were from herself.

The first one was a voice filled with arrogance and anger.

Angry Asuka: So, he's back again huh? Good, now we can kick his scrawny little ass!

Asuka: He isn't that scrawny anymore. He actually looks pretty good...

The second voice was very timid and weak.

Little Asuka: He looks strong though! He might hurt us if we let him get too close to us! We have to run...

Asuka: no... he would never hurt us...

Angry Asuka: what are you, stupid?! Of course he would! Remember what he did to you six years ago!?

Asuka: he tried to kill me...he tried to hog the glory...

Little Asuka: That's right! That's why we ran!

Angry Asuka: And that is why we must beat him down.

Asuka: Why? What good would that do? He only wanted to help me out back at the hospital you know. I'm sure of it...

Angry Asuka: You stupid little girl, you really are no different from the baka himself. You think that he wants to help you and may even care about you. But that's not true! Remember your father? He left you without looking back....

Asuka: shut up...

Little Asuka: and what about your mother? She wanted you to die as well. She wanted you to go to hell with her...

Asuka: I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!

Angry Asuka: Just accept it. The only thing that you can really rely on is yourself. Not even your own parents will be there for you in the end. The best thing for you now is to show the baka who's boss. Beat him up.

Asuka: are you sure that....

Angry Asuka: do it.

Asuka: I don't know if that is such a....

Angry Asuka: Just do it.

Asuka: but it looks like he wants....

Angry Asuka: DO IT!

Asuka flung straight up out of her futon. She was breathing rapidly from the dream...no...nightmare she had. She slowly calmed down and looked around. She was in her apartment. But how?

Was the pursuit with Shinji really just a dream?

But it couldn't be...She could feel his touch right before she passed out...so that means....he's still here.

She looked to the side and saw Shinji lying against the wall. It looked like he was soaking wet, like she was, from the rain (stupid baka didn't have an umbrella). He was asleep as well; this whole scenario reminded Asuka of the time when Shinji and her were both riding in the amublance six years ago..

And just like six years ago, the baka needed to learn his place around Asuka. The dream filled her with new revelations, and she knew what she had to do now...

Asuka stood up and walked over to the sleeping form of Shinji. She started kicking him lightly, to get him to wake up. He started jerking a little in response to the kicks, and then he finally came into consciousness.

Shinji looked around groggily and tried to remember where he was. He then came to the realization that he was indeed in Asuka's apartment. He brought her there. Seeing that Asuka was absent from the bed, he looked up and spotted her looming over his sitting position

He smiled softly at her.

Shinji: hi Asuka....

Asuka took her foot and rammed it into Shinji's gut. He fell over on his side in response and started growling in pain. She then kicked him over and over again in his already aching chest. The pain was bad enough at this point...

But she wasn't finished with him yet.

She picked him up by the collar and gave Shinji a hard punch across his tear-ridden face. She decked him so much that blood started forming from his lips and nose and began trailing down his face. Now was the time for the finale. She took her good knee and shoved as hard as she could into Shinji's most sacred place.

Shinji shrieked out in utter pain.

She ceased her mindless rage, though she wished she had done a little more. She tossed her punching bag onto the ground and began speaking to him softly.

Asuka: why did you follow me? I told you to leave me the hell alone. I hate you. I didn't want to see you ever again.

Shinji still remained on the ground but now he was looking up at Asuka with his bloody visage. He heard this from her before. But she couldn't possibly mean it, right? Did she really hate him that much?

Asuka: Get out of here. Never come back. Or else I'll do something much worse...

Asuka plopped down on her futon, trying to avoid eye contact with Shinji. The deed was done. She no longer had to worry about Shinji.

She smiled a little bit at her success. Now she could live her life without worrying about the baka anymore. No more mixed feelings....

But why did she still feel so bad? Could it be...guilt?

Shinji: Asuka...I'm sorry...

She felt a sudden warmness on her face. Shinji had reached over and put a hand on her face the same way she had done to him after Third Impact. The touch radiated with a certain warmth that Asuka never felt before, and she was afraid to find out what it was...

Could it be...trust?...understanding?...caring?...

She turned her head and looked at Shinji straight in the eyes. Well, one eye at least. The other was too bloodied up.

Asuka (angrily): what are you sorry for baka? I'm the one that hurt you this time..

Shinji: no Asuka, I was the one that hurt _you_. I should have stopped you from running six years ago but I never did. I ran away from you...I should have helped you...or else you wouldn't be here right now...in this terrible city...

Asuka sat up in front of Shinji, not bothering to move the hand from her face.

Asuka: This city is my home. I like it a whole lot better than that pathetic existence with you and Misato. No one loved me there anyway...

Shinji interrupted her, cringing from the pain in his gut.

Shinji: No, you're wrong. You were around people who cared about you in your old life, you just didn't realize it. You ran away to a place where you may never find love....

Asuka was a bit taken aback by Shinji's rebuttal, but not even his new-found spine could stop her from arguing back.

Asuka: YOU are the one who is wrong Shinji. People here do care about me. They think I'm an excellent waitress and they always want me around to help them....

Shinji: Is that it? They love you because you are a waitress? That's no different from being an Eva pilot: once you're done with it, they won't give a damn about you anymore. And no matter how many times you try to change yourself, they will only love you because of one thing: your job. That kind of love is not real.

Asuka was speechless. The baka had grown a bigger spine than she could ever imagine....

Shinji: But there is a better kind of love out there. There are people out there who care about you because of who you are. Those people will always love you no matter how many times you change, for better or worse. Those people are like Misato and...myself...

Asuka:...Shinji....

Shinji: That's why I'm sorry. I should have showed you six years ago that there are people out there that care for you truly. Those are the people that will make you happy Asuka. Not Evas or waiting jobs, but family and loved ones. For that...I'm sorry...

He slowly removed his hand from her face and looked deeply into her eyes. He noticed that not only were they different colors, but they glittered like the crystalline stars that were seen in the night sky. He saw this before....right after Third Impact when he tried to kill Asuka...It was compassion...

Then the glitter disappeared again. Asuka lowered her head and scoffed at Shinji.

Asuka: It's just like you to apologize all the time. Stupid Baka. Get the hell out of here, I.....I need to sleep.

Shinji: sigh. Fine. But just to let you know, I've said my peace. Now I will leave like you requested, never to return again.

Shinji tried with all his might to stand up and limped out of the doorway.

Shinji: Goodbye...Asuka...

Asuka slammed the door behind him and laid face down on the bed.

Not even Asuka saw what was coming next....

She started crying.

She hadn't cried like this since she was a little girl; back when she swore that she would never cry again. She promised herself that no matter what, she would be stronger than all the rest.

But why didn't she feel that way now? Shinji was finally taken out, shouldn't she be feeling happy? What that hell was wrong with her...

Her long loud sobs put her to sleep, but even in her dreams she was still crying. She couldn't see anything or anyone around her, but she didn't give a damn. All she wanted to do was get out these mixed emotions out once and for all...

An angry voice spoke out to her from the void. It was her again.

Angry Asuka: What the fuck is the matter with you?! You got rid of that pathetic piece of shit, and now all you do is cry?! Why are you crying anyway?!

Asuka managed to get a few words out between her sobs.

Asuka: I...don't...know!

Another voice stepped in. It was the other part of her.

Little Asuka: Maybe they are tears of joy. You no longer have to run from him anymore after all.

Asuka:....N-no...that's not it...

Angry Asuka: Then would you shut the hell up! Man, you are more fucked up than I thought...

She was right. Asuka didn't know what was going on either. All she knew was that it had to do with something Shinji told her. That's what set her off.

Asuka (still crying): but why....sniff...why do I feel this way?! IT MAKES NO SENSE!

Asuka started balling her head off in utter confusion. Then another voice spoke. It was her voice but it was not like the other two voices here. It was softer and more compassionate.

Other Asuka: calm down Asuka.

Asuka had never heard this side of her before, but for some reason, it made her feel more at peace. She obeyed it immediately and stopped crying.

Asuka: Who are you? Why haven't I heard you before?

Other Asuka: You HAVE heard me before Asuka. It's just been a long time since you been in touch with me.

Asuka:.....

Other Asuka: I'm the part of you that is your true self: the side of you that is strong, loving, determined, and compassionate towards others.

Asuka: But....I thought I was like that right now anyway....my job....people there love me because I care about them...

True Asuka: That part of you is also fake; just like the other two. It was just another part of you reaching out for acceptance. Did you ever feel uneasy when you were this way?

Asuka: yes. Whenever I thought of the baka, I thought about how much I wanted to have vengeance...

True Asuka: Don't you see then? There was still part of that fake personality left whenever you thought about him. The part of you that was arrogant, selfish, and also scared. Because that part of you was still there, that means that you are not truly at peace with yourself. Nothing has changed for the better.

Asuka:...So that means that the other voices are...what I thought I was? They were me but not really me?

True Asuka: As confusing as it sounds, yes. They are the parts of you that craved the attention of everyone. Those are empty hopes.

Asuka: That is what Shinji said, but why? Why is it bad to be loved by everyone?

True Asuka: Because they don't truly love you. You are not an Eva pilot anymore so those who admired you then, no longer now. That is the same with your new lifestyle. Humankind can be very fickle...

Asuka:....That's so cruel...

True Asuka: Yes...but Humans can also be loving and compassionate. And to do that only requires a much smaller number of people. It may not be the whole world, but you will be among others who care for who you really are, not for the masks you wear. They care for you no matter what...

Asuka gasped.

Asuka: Does that mean that the baka...

True Asuka: Yes. He was always there for you Asuka. He knew that you weren't being yourself and he tried taking action. He tried being...your friend....

Asuka:....

True Asuka: Unfortunately, that pushed him to the breaking point. He tried to kill you because he regrettably thought that you would never change. He wanted to end the pain he caused you as well as the pain you caused him...

This realization hit Asuka hard. This whole time she thought that Shinji was always out to get her. But in truth, she was the one that nearly killed him, mentally that is.

Asuka: It....was...my fault?

True Asuka: and that was when I stepped in. I had to stop him from making a horrible mistake he would regret for the rest of life. I had to give you, Asuka, the chance to make things work out for all of us.

Asuka: Then that means that...

True Asuka: It's time. We must become one again Asuka, like six years ago. Then you will find the path to your happiness as well as a chance to set things right with Shinji.

Asuka kept quiet for a while. She knew what she had to do, for real. She had to find a way to apologize to Shinji. It was not too late yet.

Asuka: All right. I'll do it....I have to learn to have trust in others as well as myself. I must become the Auska Langley Sohryu I was meant to be.

Angry Asuka: WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!! COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE BITCH!!!

Little Asuka: This was inevitable. She doesn't need us anymore.

Angry Asuka: WHA....NO WAY?! IT CAN'T BE LIKE THIS I Will...not..be.....

The two other voices were beginning to diminish into oblivion. Asuka no longer needed them to keep her going.

Angry Asuka:.....defeated......

Asuka: goodbye. I no longer need these masks. I'am now the person I should have been this whole time...

True Asuka: congratulations.....we are...finally one....

The void all around Asuka was slowly disappearing. She could the outline of her six-mat apartment coming into view. She sat up a little and put her hand on her pillow. It was still wet; she was back home.

Asuka: I did it.

She could not believe how great she felt now. She felt so stress free and could be capable of doing anything. But something still didn't seem right....

Asuka: oh no.....Shinji! I have to find Shinji!

She bolted out of bed and slammed open the door. The baka couldn't have gotten too far away with that wound. He was probably in an alleyway or something...

Another thought came to her. What if he was dead? What if she really did mess him up so bad, that he was unable to keep on living....

She didn't even want to think about it. He was alive she knew it!

Asuka started sprinting across the wet terrace that connected all the apartments together. The elevator was her only destination right now. After that, she honestly didn't know where to go...

She jolted back to reality as she fell to the ground the second time that day. She was really getting pissed off from falling all the time.

Asuka: Stupid junk! The neighbors should really learn to take the trash straight to the dumpst...

She stopped in mid-sentence. It wasn't trash that she fell over; this particular object had fabric on it. She reached out a hand and ran her hand up it. It was blue denim. And this was a leg!

She looked up and saw the face of Shinji Ikari, and man was he a mess. He was still badly injured from Asuka's assault, and apparently, he did not get that far away. It looked like he was dead...

Asuka: oh no....Shinji...

Asuka reached her hand up quickly and checked for a pulse above his neck. He still had one. He wasn't dead...hell, he wasn't unconscious either. The stupid baka was just asleep.

Asuka smiled with relief. She couldn't help but feel how humorous this was. She thought that he was dead in an alley far far away, but here he was, asleep on the terrace thirty feet away from her apartment.

She took her hand and began playfully bonking Shinji on the head lightly. Shinji started rustling around in his sleep, but he did not wake up.

Asuka: come on. Wake up baka.

Shinji slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Asuka's beautiful face smiling back at him. This caught him completely off-guard.

Shinji: A-Asuka! I'm sorry! I didn't know where else to sleep! I was going to go find shelter downstairs but the sky was so beautiful up here (even though it's raining) and...

Asuka grabbed on to the babbling Shinji and pulled him into a warm embrace. Shinji just kinda froze; he didn't know what the hell was going on...

Asuka:....I'm sorry....I should have listened to you years ago...

Shinji was blushing like crazy. And did he hear her say 'I'm Sorry'?!

Asuka: You were only trying to be my friend and I just kept pushing you away. If only I listened...then you wouldn't have gone mad and we wouldn't be in this mess...

Shinji did know what to do. This was the first time he ever saw Asuka like this...and he liked it.

Shinji:...Asuka...

Asuka: It's my fault things turned out this way, and for that I'm sorry. Shinji...please forgive me....

Shinji: Of course I forgive you Asuka. Why wouldn't I? We all make mistakes; it's the reason we are human. And as humans, we have to learn from those mistakes and move on. Now I will be able to...

Asuka pulled away from Shinji a little.

Asuka: Wh-what? You want to leave?

Shinji: I just wanted to make amends with you Asuka. And now that I have...

Asuka: YOU are not going any where in this condition Shinji Ikari! You'll freeze to death from the rain out here, let alone you injuries...

Shinji was starting to get a little bit curious of Asuka's actions.

Shinji: What are you saying Asuka?

Asuka (blushing): I....I want you to stay with me, at the apartment for a few days. I want to make sure you get better before you decide to go on...

Shinji's face was turning beet red as well. She wanted him to stay in her apartment? Just the TWO of them?

Shinji: I don't know about this...

Asuka: plus, I'm responsible for you injuries, so it is my duty to take care of you. As a friend, I'm responsible for you.

Shinji thought it over a bit. She really wanted him to stay...and he could hide out for a while from the UN...

Shinji: All right, you win. But, only for a few days...a week at most.

Asuka's face beamed and she hugged him tightly

Asuka: ...Thank you. Come on, we better get you out of the cold.

Asuka grabbed one of Shinji's arms and wrapped it around her shoulder. She used the other arm to help him get off the ground. Pretty soon, they were both stumbling slowly back to Asuka's apartment.

Shinji: Hey..uh...Asuka?

Asuka: Yes?

Shinji (blushing): how are the sleeping arrangements going to work....

Asuka smiled evilly.

Asuka: Oh, I have an idea....

Shinji:..gulp...

Asuka rolled out her futon and began undressing out of her waitress uniform. After a couple of minutes, she was clothed in her nightwear and ready for bed.

Shinji on the other hand, was tied up in a sleeping bag next to the futon. Asuka had him blindfolded too so that he wouldn't get funny ideas when she undressed. This position made him feel rather awkward, but besides that, he was actually pretty comfortable.

He objected nonetheless.

Shinji: What the hell?! You just can't tie up an injured person like this!

Asuak: Oh, be quiet. The ropes are not that tight...

Shinji: I can't move my arms!

Asuka: sigh....stop whining. You know as well as I do that it's wrong for two friends of the opposite sex to sleep in the same room, let alone the same futon.

Shinji: That ain't a very good excuse! Besides, having me stay was YOUR idea!

It really wasn't a good excuse, but Asuka didn't want to ruin this friendship after having it just built up. That would defeat the purpose of actually trying to be friends. In the end, something like sex could create problems for the both of them.

Asuka: True, but you are still a pervert and you _agreed_ to stay with me tonight remember? Don't worry; I'll untie you in the morning.

Asuka turned out the light and rolled over in her futon, away from Shinji.

Asuka:..yawn....good night Shinji.

Shinji: but....aw man...

Shinji decided that it was best to give in. He did like the fact that they were friendly terms for once. It was a big day for both of them, so he'd better quit while he was ahead...

Shinji: sigh....Good Night...Asuka....

* * *

That was such a fun chapter to write. And there is more to come too. I do have some Evangelion action scenes planned up ahead, but that won't be for a few chapters. 

Please R&R everyone. I'm just a lowly writer, reviews are all I ask for. Nothing more.

Oh, and I think Konnichiwa is "hello" or "good afternoon" in japanese. I'm trying to study the language, so I hope that is right.

So until next time, Later:)


	6. Things are looking up

Disclaimer: Me...no..own...Eva...

Hey everyone! I'm sorry if it took two long for me to update; work kicked my ass over the weekend, and I have WAY too much extra stuff to do besides school. But rest assured, I will keep on updating as long as I have fingers ( better not push my luck either...).

So then, here is the next chapter! Horray!:)

* * *

Chapter 6: Things are looking up...maybe. 

Setting: home of Asuka Langley Soryu. Sunrise.

Asuka always remembered waking up to sunlight every morning six years ago. It was her wake-up call: Her natural alarm clock that signaled the approach of a brand new day. It was certainly the most quiet of alarm clocks too, not to mention the level of beauty it would emit every time she looked out the window.

But nowadays, she would wake up to the piercing sound of a regular clock used by everyone else in the city. And on this particular morning, she just took the damn thing and slammed it against the wall.

She slowly lifted her head from the comfort of her pillow and looked out the window. Rain; as expected every morning. She then looked over at the thermometer and noted something unusual.

The thermometer read forty degrees Fahrenheit, but that was impossible. Whenever it was cold outside, she would feel it because she only had one layer of blanket with her. But today, it couldn't possibly be cold out because she could feel warmth all around her. She tossed over to her other side to see what the source of the heat was...

Her eyes jerked fully open as she discovered what was keeping her nice and toasty. It was a certain brown-haired boy that should have been tied up the night before. But now here he was, lying awfully close to Asuka's discomfort. She shivered with anxiety as she realized that one of his arms was wrapped around her neck.

This was definitely too much, too fast.

Asuka: Scheiss! What the hell do you think you are doing Baka?!

She leaped right of her futon as Shinji slowly rose from his sleep. He rubbed his eyes and looked over at the panicking, shivering girl. He had no idea what the hell was going on.

Shinji (sleepy): hmm...what's wrong Asuka?

He reached his hand up so that he could yawn. It was then that he noticed that left hand was free. In fact, his whole body was free of the rope Asuka put around him.

Shinji: Whoa! Where'd the rope go?!

Asuka (yelling): THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW YOU LITTLE HENTAI BAKA!

Shinji quickly tried to compile an excuse that would help him escape Asuka's wrath. Lord knows that even when her attitude is better, she can still be wrathful when angered.

Shinji (frightened): sorry Asuka! I must have untied it in my sleep! heh, heh...sleepwalking ya know! Please don't hurt me! It wasn't my fault!

Asuka ceased her anger as she realized that Shinji was already injured, and that she was responsible for those as well. She took a deep breath and crept a little closer to the frightened boy.

Asuka: sigh...It's ok Shinji. I'm sorry I yelled at you; I'm sure it wasn't your fault...

Shinji put his guard down a bit and smiled back at her with relief.

Shinji:...sigh....thanks Asuka...

Asuka: But...

Shinji gulped as he heard that word. His eyes followed up to Asuka's face. She was smiling evilly at him again.

Shinji: oh shit.

* * *

Setting: Deep in NERV headquarters 

NERV was quiet ever since the Eva escaped. Everyone was starting to get fatigued from montioring the control panel and...well...it was especially evident in the amount of coffee spent in over the last two days.

Personnel 1: commander, perhaps we should give up. It's been days, and we still haven't found the Eva.

Misato: Never; we have to find Shinji before the military does. Remember, only the UN is on our side.....no one else.

Personnel 2: And I'd bet the army would love to get their hands on an Eva pilot...

Misato: That's right. Which is why we must get to him first.

Personnel 1: sigh...all right, we keep looking. But maybe we should look somewhere else though. I mean, the boy has to have some kind of reason right?

Misato walked over to her desk inside of the control room and finished the last of her hundredth cup of coffee. If only they hadn't gotten rid of their technology so quickly, then they could have found the Eva within two minutes. But now, it took surely be weeks before they found it's exact location...

All they could do know was just spread out and search everywhere. The UN didn't have technology as advanced as NERV, so they were really only useful for that purpose.

Regardless of their help, they still could not find a 100-foot monstrosity.

Misato: agreed. He most definitely has some kind of motive because God knows that he wouldn't take the Eva because he likes it....sigh...I just we had an idea of what he is possibly after....

Then something clicked.

She stopped abruptly, and looked down at the boy's file on her desk. She searched through the file and found a picture of Shinji and Asuka (obviously fighting). She stared at the picture for a second, reflecting on a memory from days ago.

Flashback 

_Misato: Maybe you should go after her..._

_Shinji: If you can't find her than what makes you think I can?_

_Misato: Because you still love her._

End flashback 

She found it. She now knows what Shinji is after: Asuka. Of course he would use the Eva to find her because the Eva contains data on the other pilots. Maybe he could use that to his advantage....

She dismissed that theory instantly.

Misato knew that the Eva was not capable of that kind of tracking, let alone in it's current state. She would have found Shinji years ago if the Eva could do that. So the question remained: how the hell was he planning on finding her?

That didn't matter right now. She hand a lead, and it must be taken advantage of.

Misato: contact the UN. Tell them to look for the other Eva pilot: Asuka Langley Soryu. If we find her, we find Shinji.

Personnel 3: Asuka? But how would that be of any help?

Misato stood up from her desk and approached the main console. She folded her arms across her chest and looked at the monitors.

Misato: Trust me. The only he wants to do right now is to get rid of the regrets the life of an Eva pilot gave him. Tell the UN to send in an operative into Tokyo-2. They have her on file; they'll find her in no time.

Personnel 1: Understood.

Personnels:........

Personnel 3: The UN just sent a message. They agree to cooperate with the plan. They are sending in their best man into Tokyo-2 to locate Asuka.

Misato smiled.

Misato: Things are FINALLY starting to look up for us...

She sat back down at her desk and continued looking at the picture of Asuka and Shinji.

Misato (to herself): Shinji...Asuka...please come back...

* * *

Shinji: Asuka...please let me down! 

Shinji was beginning to worry about Asuka's solutions to problems. He was once again blindfolded and tied up in the sleeping bag; but in addition to that, he was hanging from the wall opposite the bathroom and kitchen. That was the last straw for Shinji.

Asuka was in the bathroom getting herself washed up and ready for work. She was really trying to enjoy her shower, but that was getting rather difficult with Shinji's persistent whining. She decided to give up on her shower and began drying her wet body.

Asuka: Don't you ever shut up? Seriously, back in Tokyo-3 you couldn't speak to save your life, and now I can't get you to shut up. Make up your mind damn it...

Shinji: You're so cruel to me Asuka, even when you like me! Come on! Let me down! Please.....I'll be your best friend!

Asuka: Come on baka, you already know that I'am your best friend.

Shinji felt kind of surprised by this statement.

Shinji: Really?

Asuka was about to answer, but he was right about something once again. It was true, when did she ever see him as her best friend? Just recently? The only best friend she ever had was Hikari, and it took a little while for them to get used to each other; three days at least.

But here, she hadn't seen Shinji for six years; and the day he comes through her door, she declares him her best friend. And the weird part was...she really believed it too.

Asuka: Well...I guess. You maybe a baka all the time and a hentai some of the time...but despite that...you really are a good person Shinji...

Asuka didn't realize it at the time, but she unconsciously walked into the main room; she was less than three feet away from him.

Shinji:..Asuka...

Those were the kindest words he had ever heard from Asuka, apart from last night's apology of course. He could feel himself blushing furiously. Shinji always wished that he could stop blushing so easily; he was getting tired of people noticing that.

He tried his hardest to stop blushing, and it succeeded. He face returned back to the normal peach shade.

Then his blindfold fell from his face.

His face turned red instantly...again. Here he was, hanging from a wall, completely subdued by the ropes, and now he had a clear view of a naked Asuka standing before him.

Asuka saw his blindfold come completely off his face. His face turned so red, he might die of embarrassment if it continued.

Asuka: Sheesh Baka...calm down. It's only a towel...

She looked down and froze with fright. Apparently, she lost the towel in the process of walking out of the bathroom and she was too busy thinking to notice.

She looked up and saw that Shinji was looking right at her naked flesh. It was over now. The baka saw her in all her beauty, and that meant that the end of the world was coming. Or so she hoped...

Shinji couldn't keep his eyes off of Asuka. It has been 18 hours since he found Asuka, and she was already showing off her breasts to him. Shinji didn't mind obviously, but if he didn't break the ice soon, there would be hell to pay.

Asuka:.....

Shinji:...uhh...so...this is awkward...

Asuka (blushing):......

Shinji:.......

Shinji:....Can you let me down now? Please?

* * *

10 minutes later.

* * *

Asuka: Thank you for understanding Shinji! I'll be back at 5:00. Bye! La,la,la,.... 

Asuka left the apartment in a fairly satisfied mood that morning. She had and Shinji had an understanding about the incident earlier. She promised not to hang him up like that again, and he agreed to have his eyes peeled out with spoons if he should ever stare at her naked again. Well, agreeing wasn't really the word. It was more like 'forced negotiations'.

Shinji sat in the middle of Asuka's six mat apartment. He had no idea that she had such a colorful vocabulary, and to say that his reaction was 'frightened' was an understatement.

Shinji (to himself): Mental note: never give Asuka a dull spoon. Ever.

With that in mind, Shinji proceeded to the kitchen to repent for being such a peeping tom. He was sure that Asuka hasn't had a decent home cooked meal in a while, so it was high time that she got one.

The problem was, he really didn't know what to make her....

Even more so, he didn't want to leave the apartment in case the UN was scavenging the area...

So he would just have to make do with what he got.

Shinji: Fine then. I'll make Asuka the best dinner of life!

* * *

Asuka came to work especially early this morning, which was actually a first for her. Not only that, but her performance was once again back up to par; this made the boss especially pleased: he had never seen Aki, his hardest worker, so happy before; well, genuinely happy anyway. 

In truth, Asuka was pretty content to finally have all those repressed emotions off her chest. Since she no longer had to worry about the baka, she could work to her full potential.

And best of all, she could now just be herself at work. It did seem to be her 'best day ever'...that is, until one certain customer came in. This one bothered her especially, like she had seen him somewhere before...

The man sitting at table three was a rather well built young man with short, raven hair. Judging by the expression on his face, he looked kinda stupid; but that was no reason for Asuka to let her guard down. The man kept glancing at Asuka every time she passed the table, like he was trying analyze her or something. Maybe he was planning to catch her in a back alley or something and try to have his way with her...

Or maybe Asuka was just reading into this guy too much. With that in mind, she abandoned all thought of the gentleman until she was done for the day.

Her shift ended at five but she ended up getting off at five-thirty; apparently the boss just wanted to keep her here for just a little longer. Too bad for him. She was already working overtime and she was sure that Shinji was waiting for her at home.

Asuka took her coat and umbrella and headed straight for the backdoor into the alleyway.

Asuka: Bye, everyone! I'll see you Saturday!

Boss: Bye Aki! Great job today!

Asuka stepped into the rain-drenched alley and opened up her umbrella. Then a though hit her: how did she get her umbrella back? She remembered dropping it yesterday while running from Shinji....

Asuka (to herself): Maybe the baka grabbed it while bringing me back to the apartment. He can be pretty thoughtful sometimes...

She smiled at this thought and turned around slowly to get out of the alley.

She stopped on the spot.

A figure stood in front of her, blocking all possible exits out of the alley. She squinted closer and gasped at what she saw.It was the man from earlier. Her preconceptions of the man were right: he was going to try and do something dirty to her...

Asuka instantly went into self-defense mode.

The man stepped closer without speaking a word; and within moments he had closed the gap between them to just a few centimeters...

He really should have kept his distance.

The second he barley brushed Asuka across the shoulder was the moment where the man felt himself being taken off the ground and into the air. Asuka had apparently grabbed the man by the shirt collar and tossed him into the pile of garbage opposite her.

The man was completely stunned by the girl's strength. To him, she seemed to have gotten much stronger over the years...

But this was no time to reminisce, Asuka was closing in on him fast, and it looked like her next target was his two friends down under.

Asuka stopped a few inches in front of him, her foot raised as if preparing to attack. But she let the foot hover and she began speaking to the man.

Asuka: All right! Who are you and what the hell do you want?!

The man remained silent.

Asuka: Fine. Don't answer me and you'll be a falsetto from now on...

Asuka jetted her foot right for the man's groin area, but he reached out his hands over his lap in response. Just in time too...

Man: Ok! Ok! Just...don't hurt me yet...red devil...

Asuka flinched at those words...only two people in the whole world called her by that name...

Man: ...sigh...It's me....Toji....

Asuka soon found herself feeling angry again. But oddly enough, she didn't know why. The boy never really did anything to her, apart from the 'red devil' comments. She slowly lowered her foot back to the ground and stared at the boy for a few seconds.

Toji stared at her, absolutely dumbfounded. He was sure that he would die the minute he said his name. But instead, she lowered her defense; indicating to him that she did not want to hurt him anymore. What the hell was going on?

Asuka: Suzahara...

Toji shuddered at the sound of her voice. She still frightened him a bit, like back in the old days. But she seemed different somehow. That just frightened him even more...

Toji: Ye-yeah?

Asuka: What are doing here? How'd you find me?

Her voice was oddly at ease. She didn't seem mad at all; in fact, she sounded more curious than anything. He relaxed a bit and replied back at her.

Toji:....sigh...it wasn't easy. Actually, it wasn't me that was looking for you; it was the UN, I work for them now. I don't know what all this is all about, but all they wanted was an operative to look for a one 'Asuka Langley Soryu'.

Asuka still wasn't convinced. There had to be another reason for wanting to find her...they are the UN after all.

Asuka: yeah...and...

Toji: Well no offense, but I did not really jump up and take the job. They just used me because I actually knew ya from six years ago. They think that I have an idea of what ya look like. So, that was all I was told to do: Find ya, and report back to base.

Asuka: Why look for me? There has be another reason...

Toji: I agree. I didn't search this whole damn city for twelve hours looking for someone who might not actually live here. But here ya are, and I don't know what is to happen next.

Asuka gave Toji a piercing stare. She knew that he was not telling her everything he knew. And when she was not being told what she wanted to know, she would have to get assertive....

Toji tried to look away from Asuka's devil-like eyes, but would be resisting the inevitable. He knew that if he didn't do something soon....well....he would be hurt. Bad.

Toji: Ok, ok...I know that this has something to with....Shinji...but I swear that's all I know...

Asuka stepped back a bit and looked at Toji with disbelief.

Asuka: Shinji...

Toji took advantage of Asuka's guard dropping and lifted himself off the ground.

Toji: I don't know why they figured he'd be with ya, the red devil. After all, I figure ya two hate each other more than anything. It's a surprise that ya guys managed to live together...

Asuka felt hurt by this comment and picked Toji up by the shirt collar. She shouted out at him on reflex....

Asuka: That's not true!

Now it was Toji's turn to be surprised. She never stood up for Shinji like that. Ever. Something was definitely up with her...

Toji: What? Ya tellin' me that you DON'T hate him? Hmph....then ya must know where he is...just like my superior said...

Asuka was put into checkmate. She had just admitted to Toji that she liked Shinji...and he knew her alias now. If the UN found Shinji, he would be in a hell of a lot of trouble...

She swallowed her pride and put Toji back to the ground.She kept her head lowered and spoke.

Asuka: Listen...Toji...Shinji IS with me...but he's hiding out...it definitely has to do with the Eva, but I don't know why.....Shinji really does hate that thing, even you know that.

She was right again. Why would Shinji take the Eva if he hated it so much?

Toji loosened up a bit and replied back.

Toji: Yeah, he does hate it. So what?

Asuka: Then please understand. There MUST be a reason that he has it. I don't expect you to trust me on this one, but please....trust in Shinji; he is your friend after all...

Toji knew he couldn't trust Asuka with his life. She was probably lying about Shinji staying at her place and that he should go check it out right now...

But, there was something distinctly different about her...she gave up her pride to beg for help...that was not like her at all. Maybe she really did change; and it may be because of Shinji that she has changed.

Toji turned away from her and exited the alleyway. Before turning the corner he stopped and spoke to Asuka again.

Toji: Fine. I'll believe ya...but no promises. I'm doing this Shinji, not you.

He knew he was making a bad decision, but a part of him told him that something big was going down, and Shinji had to be a part of it.

Asuka sighed with relief as Toji left the scene. She took her leave out of the alleyway and proceeded to her home....

She was hoping that Toji would believe her, since Shinji was not in the best condition to be resisting the UN. If they should ever be caught, they would completely defenseless; and that would lead to further complications in their lives...

Thankfully she did not have to worry about that. She knew that Toji would always keep his word when it came to his closest friends....

She made it home ten minutes later and searched her pockets for the keys.

Asuka: I hope that Shinji's feeling a little better..I would hate to have him unable to get up...

She found the right key and unlocked the door. The second she opened the door, her nose was hit with a heavenly aroma. She looked around the main room and couldn't find Shinji anywhere; but she had a pretty good guess of where he was at...

She stepped into her small kitchen and spotted Shinji running around in an apron. Apparently, he was busy cooking something special...

Shinji heard someone enter the kitchen and turned his head to see who it was.

Shinji: oh, hi Asuka! Your home late.

Asuka looked around and spotted the many foods being prepared. Shinji must have been working as hard as she was to get this all ready.

Asuka: Yeah, I......had to talk to someone...

Shinji: Oh yeah? Who's that?

Asuka: Oh, no one you know...

Shinji looked over at Asuka and could swear that something was still bothering her. But he let it go for now and went back to his preparation.

Shinji:...All right. Well, dinner will be ready in a few minutes.

Asuka: Okay!

Asuka was looking forward to another Shinji cooked meal. He did wonders with Japanese cooking, and she was never disappointed with what he made. She was getting sick and tired of instant ramen every day anyway, so this would certainly be a treat.

She stepped into the bathroom and got changed into a pair of shorts and a red tank top. While dressing, it occurred to her that Shinji had not had a change of clothes since he arrived. He was still wearing the wet and dirty shirt and pants he had upon arrival. Either he was going to have to wash his clothes everyday or he would need some new outfits.

Asuka (to herself): I guess I'll have to buy him some new clothes. It will be too expensive to do laundry everyday.

She stepped out of the bathroom and saw that Shinji had already set up the table. She looked at him again and saw that he was wearing something else instead of his dirty clothes. He was wearing...her white blouse?! And was that a pair of her jeans?!

Asuka: What the hell are you wearing baka?!

Shinji (blushing): I was hoping you wouldn't notice. It was probably better if I prepared this food if I was cleaner, and well...it was either this or I wore nothing at all...

Asuka blushed this time and just accepted the fact that Shinji desperately needed something to where.

Asuka: Fine, but first thing tomorrow, we are going to go out and get you some clothes to wear.

Asuka sat down across from Shinji and beheld the spread before. She looked in amazement at some of the gourmet Japanese foods Shinji had managed to cook up while being stuck in her apartment. This must have taken him all day to make...

Asuka: Wow, Shinj! This looks great!

She gave Shinji a sly look.

Asuka: Did leave the apartment while I was gone?

Shinji replied to her in a matter-of-fact way.

Shinji: Nope. I just pulled a few strings around here and there, and this is the result!

Shinji looked back at Asuka and saw that she was already stuffing her face with some of the curry he made. She was not paying any attention to him at all.

Shinji stared at her with exasperation.

Shinji:....sigh...ok then

Shinji sat down and began to eat what was left of the meal. A few minutes later, he tried making conversation again.

Shinji: what is the name of the place you work at anyway?

Asuka managed to get a few words out while devouring her dinner.

Asuka: The Royal Truffle.

Shinji:....Sounds retarded. Doesn't sound like a Japanese restaurant either.

Asuka put down her bowl of curry and spoke with full sentences.

Asuka: It isn't. I think it's American, but I don't partake of any of their foods. Everyone else seems to like it though...

Shinji: I see....so...how long do you plan to have me stay here anyway?

Asuka never really thought of this much either. She was going to have him stay until his injuries fully healed, but that didn't seem to take long. He was able to stand up after all...but the black eye hasn't gone away yet.

Asuka (embarrassed): Well...maybe for a few more days...but you could stay longer if you want...

Shinji: I don't think I should.

Asuka was taken aback by his response.

Asuka: Why?! I mean...this might be the perfect hiding place for you..

Shinji: For now, but the UN will catch on sooner or later. And Misato knows that I wanted to look for you, so that would put YOU in some trouble as well.

Asuka thought back to Toji showing up behind the restaurant. He was looking for her so that he could get to Shinji. Maybe Misato had something to do with that...

Shinji: Something's bothering you Asuka....

Asuka did not want to tell Shinji about Toji. Shinji still felt responsible for Toji's death before the Ressurection, and telling him about Asuka's encounter with the boy might upset him even more.

Asuka simply smiled and replied.

Asuka: It's nothing. Just a rough day at work.

Shinji let the subject drop again, but he brought up another one that was bugging him.

Shinji: Asuka, I take it you want to stay here longer...

Bingo. Shinji had hit the nail on the head. Asuka jerked out of her smile and began stuttering up a believable excuse.

Asuka: wha-? N-no, it's not that!

Shinji smiled at her. He knew she was lying...

Asuka saw Shinji smiling at him and she finally broke.

Asuka: Ok! Ok! I would...like you to stay a little longer...because I need to talk with someone. Someone...I can relate to...

Shinji: Oh.....

Asuka just realized what she just said and quickly recovered from it.

Asuka (blushing): Until I find a boyfriend that is!

Shinji looked a little sad for a second but kept on smiling. He was uncomfortable with the idea of staying longer, but he did only arrive just yesterday...and Asuka probably did need the emotional support...being alone in this city and all...

Shinji: Would it make you feel better if I stayed for a little while longer? That is, until something comes up?

Asuka's face beamed again and she shouted out with glee.

Asuka: YES!

Asuka caught herself again and replied slowly this time.

Asuka:...ahem...I mean 'yes, I would'.

Shinji:...sigh...all right. I'll stay a little longer than necessary if you want...

Asuka: Thanks Shinji! You really are my best friend!

Shinji: Yeah...for one day and counting...

She jumped up from her seat and looked down at Shinji with a wink.

Asuka: Well, better late than never!

Asuka grabbed the dishes and put them next to the sink. For the rest of the evening, they just did dishes, watched TV, and eventually went to bed.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a base camp deep in the mountains, a very nervous Toji Suzahara returned to report his latest findings to his superior. Toji entered a tent placed next to the highway, which kept constant surveillance of who came in or out of the area. So far, the boy or the Eva was not found; but they have reason to believe that they were either getting very close to the Eva, or he had somehow got out of the mountains. They really hoped that the latter was not true. 

That was why Suzahara was sent into the city: to find the girl that Shinji was 'interested' in, and to question her on his whereabouts. Now he was back, possibly with some useful information.

Superior: Oh, you're back Suzahara. And what have you found?

Toji: Sir. I was successful in finding the location of the girl, and I managed to interrogate her for any information.

The superior was quite happy with this newfound information. Maybe they could finally get somewhere..

Superior: Splendid! And what did you find out? Does she have the boy with her?

Toji:...No sir. I've questioned her as much as I could, and she strongly believes that she has not seen the boy. She seemed to be telling the truth.

The other man's fell into a frown from hearing this. This did not help much. If what the girl said WAS true, then they were back at square one again.

Superior:..hmmm....and did you search her home? Did you search anything at all?

Toji: Everything was searched to the smallest crawlspace sir. Her place is clean. She was telling the truth.

Superior (to himself): Damn it. Katsuragi blew it again. We've just wasted our time...

Superior:...sigh...very well. Then that means that the boy must still be in the mountains. Hopefully, we are getting closer...you are dismissed.

Toji: Yes sir.

Toji started breathing again the minute he left the tent. It was not easy to give false information that could very well endanger the lives of Tokyo-2 citizens. If Asuka was wrong...Toji had hell to pay...big time.

Toji grabbed a cigarette from his pocket and lit it up. He inhaled a little bit of it and looked up at the blood red moon. Toji never did figure out why the moon looked that way, but he knew the Evangelions had to do with it. Perhaps he was better off not knowing.

Toji (to himself): hmph...Well there ya go Shin-man. If all goes well, then you'll be safe for a while. But...like I said...no promises...

Toji put out his cigarette and walked back to his temporary bunker to try and ease his troubled mind. As far as he could tell, this was going to be a very long week....

Meanwhile back at Asuka's apartment, Shinji and Asuka were both sound asleep in their separate futons (with Shinji being tied up in one of them again). He didn't mind being tied up like this anymore, he was starting to get used to it.

Asuka, on the other hand, was feeling rather uncomfortable. She slept so great last night with Shinji around, why wasn't she feeling that way now? Wasn't it his presence that gave her sleep?

Asuka awoke from her discomfort and rubbed her eyes. She looked over at the sleeping Shinji and realized what she was missing. With a large amount of fatigue, she slowly tugged on Shinji's futon and pulled him closer to her. She felt the warmth of his futon mixed with his own body heat. It felt REALLY good.

She then wrapped her arms around the futon plus Shinji, and found the comfort she was so wanting. She began to fall asleep once again, but with more contentment this time.

Asuka:....stupid baka.....stupid warm baka...

* * *

Ta-da! The end of other chapter! I absolutely love doing these Shinj/Asuka chappies because there are so many ways you could get them together....sigh...it's almost TOO fun... 

nah. You could never have too much fun.

Anyway, please keep reviewing everyone! And please don't get mad if I don't update right away! My schedules tight, not to mention the release of Silent Hill 4 and Gungrave OD. Those will keep me busy for a while.

So I'll see ya all next time! Later!


	7. There is another

Disclaimer: Don't own Eva. Nope. Never did.

Hey everyone, sorry about the late update '. Homework this week kicked my ass with a passion, and I was seriously hellbent on beating Silent Hill 4. Fortunately, the homework has temporarily ceased and Silent Hill 4 has been beaten. Hence, this chapter is finally up! Horray!

And because of the previous homework ass-kicking, I only plan on working on this fic, no others. sorry if I mislead any of you. I just dont have time to do multiple fics.

But the good news is, I don't have any other stuff (besides typing and work) to do in my free time. So updates may come sooner now (i say MAY not 'will')...

I'm done apologizing. here's the next chappie everyone! (yay.)

* * *

Chapter 7: There is another.... 

Setting: somewhere in a NERV headquarters far, far away. Meeting room.

There were three figures inside of the dark meeting room. Their apperances were unknown as a result of the darkness, but that was the idea in the first place: to keep identities safe. These three figures are in fact, the very people who proposed the idea of dismantling NERV completely, and getting rid of all knowledge about it. Their plan was approved, and the ever so meddling NERV headquarters was to be deconstructed peice by peice in a seven year interval.

They were almost done too....all that was left to was to get rid of the Evangelions that they took such pride in. Once that was done, everyone could once again live comfortably; then this happened: Shinji Ikari and his Evangelion escaped from NERV headquarters with little effort. This was going to set them back for some time.

Figure 1: This is impossible! Are you telling me that an Evangelion has actually escaped from NERV headquarters in Japan?! How is that possible?!

Figure 2: hmph. Well if you were with us a few days ago, then you would have known.

Figure 3: The Eva escaped because of the lack of security that was unavailable to the headquarters at the time. They were completely defenseless...

Figure 1: And whose fault is that?! Maybe you should have known better than to have dismantled the Eva LAST.

Figure 3: If I remember correctly, we ALL agreed that the Eva should be dismantled last, not just me. So there is really no reason to argue about it now. It was unpredicted that the boy would take the monster...it is said that he HATES the Evangelion after all...

Figure 1:...sigh...Fine, and what do we plan to do about it?

Figure 2: We have already dispatched the UN to search for the beast manually....

Figure 3: And with our current progress, it could take weeks before we find it...that is, considering that it has not already left...

Figure 1: Then we are getting nowhere. If only we had some of our tracking devices left...then we could determine where he is...

Figure 2: The only organized NERV facility left is in America. They refuse to be involved.

While the mysterious councilmen were discussing the issue, an equally enigmatic man stepped in to give his say on the situation.

Figure 4: That is not necessarily true....

It was an understatement to say that the council was surprised, but they kept their composures nonetheless.

Figure 1: hmm..well, would you look here. The ambassador from America decides to be part of this little meeting...

Ambassador: That is right sir. Please accept our most humble apologies for not arriving sooner...

Figure 2: And what is your reason for being here?

Ambassador: I am here to tell you that America has finally decided to get involve with your 'little problem'....

Figure 2: Little Problem?! Don't forget that you are part of NERV as well ambassador. OUR problem is your problem....

Ambassador: Correct. That is why we have suddenly decided to become involved. We have such confusion when it comes to our priorities...once again, we apologize for that...

Figure 2: Well if that is all, then why did you decide to come all the way down here ambassador?

Ambassador: Not so fast, Not so fast. I haven't gotten to the important part yet....

Figure 1: Proceed....

The ambassador took a couple of steps foward and began his lecture.

Ambassador: We at NERV headquarters have developed a plan that would benefit us all! You see, we still have ONE MORE EVA left....one that was never put into effect...or even properly activated for that matter...

Figure 3: Of course! Eva unit 04!

Figure 2: ...I thought that was destroyed during Third Impact though...

Ambassador: No, we managed to keep the unit properly covered and secured just before the impact...the story of its destruction was a cover-up in case we should ever need it for something unexpected.

Figure 1: Just like now...

Figure 2: Well ambassador, it looks like you have brought with you good news indeed. But why in God's name did it take you so long to get involved? Why didn't you want to join earlier?

Ambassador: The Eva had to have a pilot chosen; and you know how long it can take to prepare and train the said pilot. We have been training him for six days straight.

Figure 2: It has been barely a week and you think your pilot is really ready for action? It sounds really risky to me....

Figure 1: I second that motive.

Ambassador: Calm down everyone...you didn't let me finish my proposal. Yes, it is true that the pilot has received little experience to be pitted against a fully trained Eva pilot, but I can assure that this pilot is a phenomenon that can resolve this conflict with little effort.

Figure 3: What do you mean by a 'phenomenon' ambassador?

Ambassador: Well for starters, he scored a solid 95 on his first synch test....

All the members of the council literally jumped from their seats and looked over at the obviously preposterous ambassador...

Figure 1: 95?! Tha-That's impossible on the first try!

Ambassador: oh, but he DID score that...and it only gets better...on the subsequent tests, he scored 100 every time...and all our instruments have been checked for glitches. Surely enough, this guy is the real deal.

Figure 2: Are you completely serious Ambassador?! Did you actually find the _perfect_ Eva pilot?!

The ambassador smiled and stepped away from the doorway.

Ambassador: Why don't you ask him yourself?

Another figure stepped into the room; but unlike the Ambassador, this figure was a rather brash-looking young man. He had short blondish hair that could no be tamed by any comb, and a pair of auburn eyes to match. He wore a tight tank top and a loose red jacket over it. His jeans were particularly baggy and he had steel-toed boots decorating his feet. Judging by the boy's smug expression, the council could tell that this guy was confident with his ablilities as a pilot.

Ambassador: Ladies and Gentlemen of the council, allow me to present Geffen Descartes. He was an orphan since birth, abandoned in the streets of the Bronx in New York. It was there that we found him twenty years later, destined to be the ultimate pilot of the Evangelion.

Geffen looked over at the ambassador with annoyance

Geffen: Shut up already. They don't need to know my life's story for Christ's sake.

The ambassador shot a dirty glare back at Geffen.

Ambassador: Oh, and did I mention that he can be quite a pest at times?

This kind of pilot was not unfamiliar to the council. Asuka was just as bad as this guy was; if not worse.

Figure 1: Hmph. Well he is no worse than the pilot of Eva unit 2, I can tell you.

Geffen: Eva unit 2 huh? Isn't the pilot of that the REALLY hot redheaded chick?

Ambassador: Don't get your hormones flared up yet Descartes. There are a lot of frightening rumors about her and her undying arrogance. (under his breath)....kinda like someone else here...

Figure 2: Yes, she was quite a nuisance to the headquarters in Tokyo-3, but she was certainly a good pilot. And you won't be needing to worry about her Descartes, She went missing about 6 years ago...

Geffen was more than disappointed to say the least. He always enjoyed the company of other women, but that was only the lust inside of him calling out like a rabid boar.

Geffen: Damn...I could have really used some pu-

The ambassador was really tired of the boy's bluntness and punched from behind the head.

Geffen: OW! God damn, what's your problem old man?!

Ambassador: Well, you can learn to show some respect for your fellow pilots, especially the female ones...

Geffen: hmph...doesn't look like she is worth much anyway...

Geffen was lying of course. He always had his eyes on this girl since he saw her photo six days ago. If she looked that hot then, imagine what she looked like now...

Ambassador: And second, you could learn to stop being so damn blunt all the time; you'll gain more friends then enemies that way...

Geffen: I don't need anymore friends ya stupid...

Ambassador: But we don't enemies either, especially for an Eva pilot like you!

Geffen:...sigh...whatever.

The council decided to intervene before things got out of hand.

Figure 1: ambassador, can we please get back to the conflict at hand? Now is not the time for personal quarrels...

Geffen: Yeah ambassador...maybe you should do your job for once...

Geffen gave the irritated old man another smug grin, but the man decided to swallow his pride for the sake of his career.

Ambassador: I apologize council. I will continue with the explanation as originally planned.

Figure 2: Very well. Proceed Ambassador.

Ambassador: ahem....well, the plan is very simple. We send in...this pilot...to locate the rouge Evangelion and to return it to headquarters to resume dismantling. Once that is done, NERV will finally be shut down.

Figure 3: And then we may all continue with our lives.

Figure 2: Just how do you plan on finding the Eva ambassador?

The ambassador grinned slightly

Ambassador: We don't plan on looking for the Eva...all we want is to look for the boy...Shinji Ikari.

Figure 1: And just how do you plan on finding him ambassador? The UN has already tried searching for the boy within the limits of Tokyo-3 and Tokyo-2...

Figure 2: We sent in a large team of Operatives including an agent who was personally affiliated with the pilot. That agent was in fact the destined pilot of Eva unit 03.

Figure 3: They've been scavenging the precincts for days on end, and they still haven't aquired any trace of the boy.

Ambassador: But that is where our lost technology comes in. You see, unlike the rouge Evangelion, our Eva's data has not been restored. Meaning we still contain data on the boy and we can track him within minutes.

The council fell silent for a few moments. If it was true that the Eva could still track the pilots, then they have a much bigger chance then they could ever hope for.

Ambassador: So council, what do you say to our little recovery plan?

The council looked at each other and nodded their heads in agreement.

Figure 1: Very well ambassador, you have our permission. When will this operation begin?

Ambassador: Immediately.

Geffen smiled wickedly. The heat really was on now...

* * *

Setting: Tokyo-2 Apartment complex. Asuka's room. 

Shinji Ikari was in the shower washing off all the filth and blood he acquired after his little quarrel with Asuka. She did beat him up pretty bad, but he was still able to heal from the wounds rather quickly. The black eye had dulled down a bit, and the aching in his groin area had finally died away. He was especially grateful for that.

He had been staying at her place for about a week now, and it was only last night that she finally decided to stop tying him up. Her trust for him was starting to build up again, and she felt more comfortable at night knowing that Shinji was not being constricted by the rope. She felt guilty enough for doing it in the first place...

But now, she felt that she could finally trust the boy. She had complete confidence in the boy she called her best friend.

Shinji stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel out of the closet. Asuka had the day off today and she wanted to go shopping for new clothes for Shinji. He was not looking forward to this though. His old clothes were not washed...so that meant going out in Asuka's clothes...

He prayed that no one would notice...

He emerged from the shower with a towel drapped over his lower half and looked across the main room. Asuka was sitting on the ground, looking at him with contempt.

Asuka: How long does it take you to take a shower anyway?! I could have been done with all the shopping by now!

Shinji lowered his head in embarrassment

Shinji: Sorry. I really needed it...I was covered in BLOOD after all...

Shinji had once again hit Asuka's soft nerve. She looked at him with gentle eyes and spoke again.

Asuka: Mein gott, I forgot that you were injured...I'm sorry Shinji.

He just smiled brightly at her.

Shinji: Don't sweat it Asuka. I didn't mean for the shower to be that long anyway.

Asuka: ..sigh....well here, put these on.

She tossed Shinji a pair of pants and a white shirt that looked strangely liked the ones he was wearing before...

Shinji: Asuka, why are my clothes all clean?

Asuka: Sheesh...are you really that big of a baka? I washed and dried them this morning while you were asleep. Duh!

Shinji: Oh, Ok.

Shinji bundled up the clothes and headed back for the bathroom.

Shinji:...thanks Asuka.

Asuka waved her hand at him and stood up.

Asuka: Don't worry about it! It's the least I can do.

Shinji got changed into his freshly washed clothing and entered the main room once again. Asuka was sitting in the middle reading a magazine, but immediately turned her attention to him once he entered the room.

Asuka: about time, you ready to go now?

Shinji: Yeah...sorry about that.

Asuka:...sigh....still with the constant apologizing Shinji?

Shinji looked a little puzzled.

Shinji: What do you mean?

Asuka (exasperated): Nothing, lets just go.

Asuka left the apartment building and proceeded to the elevator shaft. It was here that a thought hit Shinji point blank in the head.

Shinji: hey Asuka....

Asuka turned her head from the elevator door and looked at Shinji.

Asuka (kindly): What is it Shinji?

Shinji: What if someone recognizes me in town?

As stupid as it sounded, Asuka had never thought about that either. He was the most wanted man in the city after all, and exposing him in public was asking for total chaos.

Then again, how could they NOT forget? Shinji had not left the building for a week, and Asuka never had any other UN conflict since Toji appeared. Their lives were so peaceful right now...it was like NERV or the Evas never existed; it was no wonder that they forgot about the heat that was after Shinji.

Asuka: I guess we take our chances then....its too late now...

Shinji: What?!

Shinji looked around and noticed that they were both moving down; they must have stepped into the elevator unconsicously..

Asuka: This is it Shinji. There is no going back away from the world...you have to face it sometime...as much as both you and I hate it.

It was the best idea she could come up with at the time, and fortunately it was the truth. He did need to face them at some point in time...or else the UN and NERV would try something really desperate...so desperate that it results in mass chaos.

Shinji knew that this was the right thing to do...but he was not really worried about himself being caught; he knew the consequences resulting in his earlier actions, and he was willing to face them. He just didn't want Asuka being hurt in the struggle....or worse...

That was the real reason why he wanted to leave her as soon as possible...he had to keep her safe. But for now, he wanted to enjoy the precious moments he was spending with her right now. Before he really does have to leave....

Shinji: You're right...it has to be done...

Asuka saw the nervousness in Shinji's actions; he was fidgeting like crazy and sweating very profusely. He was obviously afraid about facing the world again...but he still had no reason to be...

Her next action was unexpected.

She reached over and grabbed Shinji by the hand and held in hers gently. Shinji felt the sudden warm sensation of her hand in his and he began blushing again...almost as bad as the time when he saw her naked...

Just thinking about that made him blush even more; but to Shinji's surprise, he had stopped fidgeting and his sweat was starting to cool off of his body. Whatever Asuka was thinking right now seemed to have to desired effect on Shinji. He felt comfort and support from her grasp alone.

Asuka did not know the reason behind her actions either. Maybe it was instinct....or maybe she saw that he was in mental turmoil and she wanted to help him out of it...whatever the reason, it seemed that she succeeded in comforting him. And personally, she was enjoying it as well.

But still, she didn't want anyone to get the idea that she was doing this because she LOVED him. That was perposterous...he was just a friend...a really close friend...

Shinji took his eyes away from the ground and looked at straight at Asuka. He was smiling and blushing at the same time.

Shinji:....thank you....

Asuka returned the smile and replied with a firmer squeeze of his hand.

Asuka: Your welcome....just...don't get any funny ideas ok?

Shinji: I wouldn't have it any other way...

The elevator doors opened to the lower levels and two exited with a tight grip on each others hands. The world around him was as crowded as usual, and the rain was once again pouring into the streets.

Asuka: Sheiss! I forgot my umberella!

Shinji reached out with his free hand and gave Asuka her umberella.

Shinji: I grabbed it before we left.

Asuka grabbed it from his hand and opened it up to cover both of them.

Asuka (jokingly): hmph...well Shinji, guesss you ain't much of a baka if you really try.

Shinji: I must have tried my hardest to achieve that then.

Asuka laughed and walked with Shinji hand-in-hand down the wet sidewalk.

* * *

Meanwhile, a few miles away, another young man was preparing for his stragetic assault upon the young, rouge Eva pilot named Shinji Ikari. Eva unit 04 and himself were perched about ten miles outside of Tokyo-2 just on the outskirts of the temporary UN camp. His first task at hand was to search out the boy using the tracking equipment that was programmed into the Eva. 

The Eva had a tracking of about a fifty mile radius, and that should hopefully be enough to find the other pilot. If not, then he would have to relocate, find a new hiding perch to avert attention, and try again there.

Geffen Descartes sat inside the plug of Eva Unit 04, bored out of his skull for sitting there for 5 damn hours. Tracking took time since they had to scan each individual within the city in order to find their target. But nonetheless, this was just too damn long for anyone to be inside a plug.

Geffen then recalled a story he had once heard about this boy he was hunting. While battling one of angels, Shinij somehow got sucked into the dark void of the angel's apparent shadow. Ironically, it was the shadow that was the angel. The boy got sucked straight in to it and was there for days on end. They managed to recover him successfully, and he was still in top condition afterwards.

Geffen (to himself): man, I can't stand being inside of this fucker for 5 hours. What's that compared to being inside a lonely plug for days and days? That guy....do I even have a chance of beating him if he gets into his Eva?

Geffen instantly shook the thought away as his tracking device went off all of the sudden.

Programmed Voice: Alert. Alert. Evangelion pilot, Shinji Ikari, found. Alert. Alert. Evangel....

Geffen shouted out and threw up his hands in relief.

Geffen: YES! About damn time! Now I just gotta report it to that old fag and take that poor excuse of an Eva pilot down!

To Geffen's surprise, the alert was still going off; the Evangelion must have found someone else as well....

Geffen put down his arms and looked at the monitor. What he saw next, was the last person he expected to see...

Programmed Voice: Alert. Alert. Evangelion Pilot, Asuka Langley Sorhyu, found. Alert. Alert. Evangelion....

An evil grin came across the pilots face. There the two pilots were, walking hand-in-hand down the wet streets of Tokyo-2; apparently happy.

It was also a surprise to Geffen to see that the two pilots were actually dating. From what he had heard, the two couldn't even stand living together. So what the hell was he seeing now?

It didn't matter. Geffen's plans have changed slightly; he found the girl he had been lusting over for some time, and he wasn't gonna let her get away.

He would first go in and have his way with the girl, then he would leave her for dead (like he did every other girl he dated), and he would finish the job by beating the shit out of her boyfriend.

Geffen thought over his devious scheme again, and found nothing wrong with it. No girl yet had been able to resist his charm, and this whole plan would give him great pleasure in more ways than one.

How could pass up an opportunity like this?

Geffen reached for the intercom and spoke

Geffen: rouge Eva pilot, Shinji Ikari, had been found General.

General: Excellent work Descartes! Is he in the city then? Was he there this whole time?

Geffen: affirmative General. But that was not all I found....

Geffen reached over to the montior's console and configured it so that he could send a visual to the UN camp.

Geffen: Look who's there with him.

The general nearly jumped out of seat at what he saw. It was the other Eva pilot, Asuka. She was with the boy, and by the looks of it, they were very close.

General: She....she did know...this whole time she knew.

The general sat back down again and let the anger inside of him spread throughout his whole body. He knew whose fault this was...

General (quietly):....Suzahara...you bastard...if only you told the right information, then we could have made some progress by now...

Geffen decided to awaken the General from his state of utter anger.

Geffen: Sir, if I may continue...

General:...Yes, proceed Descartes.

Geffen: If I may, I'd like to go down to the city and try to negotiate with the pilots personally...that way, we may avoid casualties that would be caused by an Eva battle.

The general pondered this over slightly and saw nothing wrong with it. Besides, he was far too busy worrying about what to do with Toji then to worry about getting the boy back...

General: Fine then. You have permission to go into the city and negotiate. But if worse comes to worse, then we have no choice but to attack.

Geffen smiled darkly again. Now it was his turn to have a little fun...

Geffen: Understood, General...

* * *

Well, there ya have it. Chapter 7...sigh...I wish it was a little bit longer, but size doesn't always really matter. Besides...I think the content of the chappie was relatively good... 

Like I said earlier, this is the only fanfic I will working on whenever I have the time. Also, the length and duration of the updates will vary depending on the homework. That may be obvious, but I'm making no promises for this fic. Only time will tell.

I would also like to thank Tashikawa for bringing some things to my attention while I was writing this fic, like my insolent spelling errors and such. (p.s. I don't really know why I use the words 'lied down'. Its kinda a weird tid bit of sorts....unexplainable too). It also may seem cruel that Asuka tied up an injured Shinji, but you know what they say...abstinence makes the heart grow fonder...(and it was pretty funny and unexpected when she did that :). Thanks again!

And I'd like to say 'thank you' to everyone who have contributed a reveiw to this fanfic. They are all very helpful in more ways than one, and they are all equally important to the fate of the fic. So please...keep reveiwing!

So I'll see you all later until next time!


	8. Geffen Strikes

Disclaimer: don't own Evangelion. I own a Evangelion.....but thats a different story altogether...

Hello everyone! My update was a tad late but it is also pretty long.

It was brought to my attention by shadowspider101 that there was an Eva unit 04 in the series, and that it's S2 engine exploded. I have COMPLETELY forgotten about that, I'm sorry everyone! So here's the deal: Geffen Descartes DOES NOT operate Eva unit 04, he operates Eva unit 05. Eva unit 04 was destroyed, and it is still dead. Eva Unit 05 is a completely original Evangelion created by me (unless there is one of those in the series....man, I really need to rewatch the anime....its been so long..) so shaodwspider101, thanks for telling about that little mix up :)

Besides that, I don't have much else to say. here's the next chapter!

* * *

Chapter Eight: Geffen Strikes 

Setting: Streets of Tokyo-2. 6:00 pm, early dusk.

Shinji:....hey...Asuka....

Asuka turned around and looked at Shinji

Asuka: Yeah, Shinji?

Shinji: You could....pant...carry a few of these you know....

Asuka didn't even take the time to actually look at Shinji. They just finished shopping at the mall, and they were successful in finding Shinji good-looking clothes for him. However, he was the one that was stuck with the burden of carrying the bags. Now, two or three bags wouldn't be a problem, but he was carrying about fifteen bags of clothing; that took his whole body to carry all of these bags, literally. He looked like a giant pile of assorted construction paper lurking the streets of Tokyo-2.

Asuka: Shinji? Is that you under there?

Asuka pulled out one bags and looked at Shinji straight in the face. She started getting concerned when she saw how winded he was; the boy looked really flushed, and was sweating like crazy. She grabbed a few bags off of him and placed them on the wet ground.

Asuka (smiling weakly): Sorry about that Shinji. I guess I bought more than I needed to...

Shinji:...pant...pant...you could have looked back at me sooner...pant...you know....pant

Asuka placed the umbrella over his head to protect him from the rain.

Asuka: Look at it this way: you were in disguise....that way, no one could recognize you....

Shinji.:....but look, your new clothes are all wet....

Asuka looked at the bags to see that they were all soaking with rain.

Asuka:...sigh....Don't worry, It was my fault...

Shinji:...no...maybe if I was just a little bit faster...

But the looks of it, Shinji felt massive guilt for getting their new clothes wet. Why should he though? It was really no big deal....

Asuka: Jeez Shinji, are you beating yourself up over a little rain? Don't worry about getting our clothes wet and dirty...

Shinji:...But you spent so much money on them...

Asuka: Shinji. Don't worry about it, ok? We can wash and dry them when we get home. Even a baka like you should know that much....

Shinji looked up at her with embarrassment.

Asuka:...oh., sorry about that; I was just teasing! Man, cheer up a bit Shinji; don't let the rain here get to you...that's whats making you feel gloomy and self-conscious. Trust me, if you try to look up at things in life, you'll feel...well...as right as rain!

She winked at him and grabbed some of the bags from his hands and the ones on the ground. Shinji could feel the warmth of her hands as they brushed past his to get the baggage. He loved that that warm sensation....it was true comfort...

Asuka (jokingly): Come on, Baka! We better hurry up, or else I'll have to throw you outside for the night!

Asuka (to herself0: 'as right as rain'?! Mein Gott, that's a horrible cliché...

Shinji walked alongside Asuka with his baggage much lighter now. The warmth that radiated from her touch was gone now, and he felt once again cold and alone. It was true that the rain made him feel rather depressed and apologetic, but he still felt bad for getting her clothes wet while leaving the mall.

But....should he? The rain was particularly heavy today, and he had no way of covering the himself or the bags. There was nothing he could really do to protect the parcels, so why did he still feel so bad over something so minute and ridiculous?

Was he maybe trying to look good for Asuka? Was he trying to get her to like him more?

He was definitely her best friend , no question about it; but was that all he was to her? He cherished that friendship more than anything else, but would ever live up to her standards...the standards of a lover?

Shinji couldn't think of a world without Asuka...she was the one he truly wanted to be with. But what really hurt was the fact that she was unwilling to accept those feelings he had for her; she knew he really, really cared for her....by God, she knew; and she probably felt the same way back. But for some reason, she just wanted to remain friends with the boy...she wanted NOTHING to change between them...nothing at all...

Those feelings can really hurt...

Maybe she was unwilling to accept her OWN feelings....maybe he reminded her too much or her old life as an Eva pilot.

Whatever it was, She still wanted to be as far away from him as much as possible; without hurting him in the process.She had gotten to be a much better person over the days, but she was still running away from her problems....like he used to run away...

Then again, Shinji was probably over reacting once again. After all, they were only just reacquainted seven days ago. She hated him at first, then she grew to liking him. Lord knows how long it would be before she could love him...if that happens at all...

Asuka: Come on Shinji! Hurry up!

Shinji jumped back to consciousness and saw that Asuka was a good forty feet ahead of him. He quickly reacted by running as fast he can, but the weight of bags were slowing him down ten-fold. Asuka, on the other hand, took the liberty of only carrying a few bags and was far more capable of sprinting than Shinji was.

Shinji completely lost his breath outside of the complex and slowly staggered his way back to Asuka's apartment. Asuka was already inside of the apartment by the time he reached the desired floor. He slowly walked inside of the apartment and dropped the bags on the floor with no care of what the contents were. He dropped to his hands and knees and breathed deeply.

Asuka stood in the middle of the floor, sorting out all the clothes that were in the bags.

Asuka (jokingly): What took you so long Shinji?

Shinji lifted his head a little and looked at Asuka darkly.

Shinji:....too....many...bags....

Asuka crouched toward Shinjis face and smiled. She bent down low enough to give Shinji a good view of her bust...

Asuka: awww.....I'm sorry dear. But you were still too slow...that means you ain't getting any tonight...

Asuka's flirts always seemed to a way to weaken Shinji. He would always react the same way too: She does something, he blushes, then he either walks away or babbles into nothingness. This time however, Shinji was ready for her. He smile seductively back at her and replied.

Shinji: Awww....but you know you can't live without my love honey.

Bingo. Asuka was now the speechless one for once. She had never expected that to come from Shinji's mouth, let alone anyone elses. She did not know how to react to this situation ....and now she was blushing uncontrollably....she had to do something....

It was at this moment that the rotation of the Earth (and Asuka's unsteady balance) caused her to fall right on top of Shinji, making him toss the bags of wet clothing into the air.

And here they were: Asuka sitting top of Shinji. Shinji laying on the floor. Dozens of wet clothes spread about; some of which landed on Asuka's buttoned white shirt. Now normally this would be unnoticeable, but the clothes were soaking wet enough to cause Asuka's tight shirt to absorb some of the excess water the other clothing excreted....giving him a more appealing visual of her chest...

Asuka, on the other hand, was perfectly idle. She didn't realize that her shirt had become all wet, revealing her bust in almost perfect resolution; nor did she care. Right now, for some strange, unforeseen reason, she was actually ENJOYING this....Shinji was so warm. even when he was wet; she had never felt such comfort before...

...maybe...Shinji was enjoying this too

Shinji looked at Asuka straight in the eyes, trying to avoid the magnetism her breasts gave off. He was almost certain that Asuka would castrate him for just looking at them for a couple of seconds. But on second thought, he noticed that Asuka was looking back at him strangely. She did not look enraged, nor did she look embarrassed. She looked...needy....like she wanted Shinji to do something for her in order to fufill her desire...

Shinji sure hoped that she was not thinking about 'that'...the very thing she tried to avoid by tying him up at night...

Shinji worst fears were confirmed when she started leaning toward Shinji slowly; he really did want to get closer to Asuka, but this was definitely pushing the bar.

She didn't want to be more than friends with Shinji anyway, so why the hell was this happening?!

Shinji would have gaped in fear at the sight of the approaching Asuka, but the animal magnetism between them was too intense to resist. Her lips were calling out to him more desire than he could handle. All he could do was lean forward and stare into her eyes with shock. He only hoped that Asuka would forgive him someday if something 'unexpected' happened....

Asuka was only a few inches away from his face, a hungry look still glowed inside of her glaring eyes...

Shinji (to himself): Oh shit!....this is it! Here goes nothing....

Shinji looked at Asuka and saw that she went passed his face; instead she placed her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms under his and across his back.

All she really desired right now, was to embrace him. Shinji feel relieved and decided to loosen more. It was probably best to enjoy this moment.

Asuka (content): ummmm....Shinji, you're so warm....

Asuka did not know what was going on in her mind right now. She swore to herself that she would treat Shinji as a close friend and ONLY as a close friend;so why did this hug feel so right to her....

It could be destiny...

Asuka didn't know what to think. After she made up with Shinji, she swore that she would never hurt him again. And that meant never falling in love with him either...

But how couldn't she love him? He was an excellent cook, he kept the apartment in top shape all the time, and most of all, he was always there for her when she was in trouble....and that happened to her often around here....

* * *

FLASHBACK 

Setting: Asuka's apartment. Two days ago. 2:00 am

Shinji was sound asleep in his sleeping bag, snuggling up to the warm fabric around him. Asuka had finally decided to set Shinji free of his rope prison, so it felt good to actually move his hands around while sleeping....

Yes sir, tonight was going to be a great night.....

Or so he thought.

At around the middle of the night, Shinji woke up to the sound of a women crying. At first, he thought that he was still dreaming, but then the sobbing got louder and more spontaneous; naturally, Shinji turned around in his futon to see what the noise was. It was Asuka.

Shinji (to himself): Of course. There wasn't anyone else here to cry......

Shinji lifted himself out of the bag and crawled over to the crying girl, her back turned away from him. Shinji was just about to see if she was alright, but then she started talking...in her sleep.

Asuka (crying): Mother....no...please.....don't make me go....please..mother....I don't.....want to...DIE!

Shinji could not take seeing the poor girl in pain anymore; he gently clasped her shoulder and shook her a little.

Shinji: Asuka, wake up. Come on...

Asuka took a few moments to stop sobbing and slowly turned her body towards Shinji. Her face was all wet and puffy, like she was crying for hours; she sat up and looked at Shinji

Asuka:...sniff...what do you want...sniff...baka...

Shinji:...You were crying in your sleep. (concerned) Are you ok, Asuka?

Asuka wiped some of the tears from her face and looked back at Shinji with a weak smile.

Asuka: I'm fine, I just...had a bad dream that's all...

Shinji was convinced in the least. This was just like the night before they fought the regenerating angel. She slept next to him that night, and she was crying then too....and most of all, Shinji could have sworn that she was whispering 'mother' in her sleep....

It was the same then, it is the same now. She still couldn't get over the traumatic death of her mother...its been years and she still was crying in fear of her mother

Shinji (to himself): She must really be in pain....six years and she still cries with tears of sorrow....she cannot live like this forever....

Shinji placed a hand on Asuka's shoulder and looked at her straight in the eyes. His eyes held a great strength to them, one that could normally be found in men of great courage...and Asuka could help but spill the truth out to him...

Asuka: ok...it wasn't just a dream....it's a haunting.....my mother....she died years ago...but she's still here in my mind.....I thought I came to terms with this when I was in my Eva last time....but I still can't forget...

Shinji kept a firm yet subtle hold Asuka's shoulder, prompting her to continue.

Asuka: she wanted me to die with her years ago...sniff...she wanted me to suffer with her in Hell....(starts sobbing again)...but sh-she didn't really want me around, she cared more about that stupid doll than she did me!

Asuka's second wave of tears rose out of her in torrents. Shinji took his hands off her shoulders and wrapped them around her neck, pulling her closer to his chest. Shinji kept her in that comforting grip and let her wetten his shirt with her fresh tears.

Shinji: Calm down Asuka...she didn't really feel that way about you....I'm sure that she loved you more than the world.....

Asuka's sobs started subsiding while lying against his chest.

Shinji:...Don't ever say that no one wants you around. Your father may have abandoned you long ago, but I'm not about to do the same....

Asuka: Shinji....

Asuka finally calmed down completely and lifted her head off of Shinji's chest. She smiled at him brightly while the tears glimmered off her face. Shinji smiled back at her and took his hands off of her.

Shinji: Don't worry...I'll be here for you when you need it.

Asuka smiled even more and wiped the tears off of her face. She nodded and crawled back to her bed in hopes of recovering the lost sleep she so needed.

Asuka: Shinji.....

Shinji was about to go back under his covers, but Asuka still demanded his attention first...

Shinji: Yes Asuka?

Asuka:....Thank you....

Shinji crawled under his covers and looked over at her, smiling brightly while sleep took him away.

Shinji:...You're Welcome....

END FLASHBACK

* * *

Everything seemed to make so much sense to her. Shinji and herself would make a wonderful pair indeed...but still, he had helped her so much so far, and she was unable to return the kindness at all...and if this continued....then she would probably end up hurting him more than anything else... 

She knew that Shinji would always be there for her when she needed it, but if they became a couple someday, then she would be expected to help him out in return...

But she didn't know how...she had no idea how....

Asuka (to herself): I-I can't help him....I don't how....what do I do? What if I can't help him out at all? If we became lovers, would he still want me even if I couldn't do anything?....No, he would never want me again if that happened...w-we can't be a couple right now! It's just not right...it's just not right!

Asuka pulled herself away from Shinji so quickly that he was unable to react in time. She darted for the door and head across the terrace along the apartment. And within a matter of seconds, she ran down the stairs all the way to the bottom floor and hid behind the corner of the nearest alley.

Asuka: It seems so right....but it can't be that way. If this continues....nothing will come for us but pain....

Voice: Who's us?

Asuka was startled by the voice and instanteously went into self-defense mode. She seemed to have a bad habit of meeting strangers in alleys....

A man stepped from the shadows at the end of the alley...a very handsome blonde man. But that didn't stop Asuka from snapping at him nonetheless.

Asuka: What the hell do you want?

Man: calm down, calm down....I just saw you running down the street earlier....and you looked pretty distressed. I was just wondering if you were ok...

Asuka calmed down a bit and took a deep breath.

Asuka:...sigh...I'm fine. Sorry....

The man smiled at her proudly.

Man: Think nothing more of it. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Geffen Descartes; I'm a university student around here; but I'm in an internship with one of the big wig cooperations around here...

Asuka smiled back at him weakly. Looks like it was time to use her cover up name again...

Asuka: Pleasure to meet you. I'm Aki Katsu.

Geffen: Likewise. What were you crying about anyway? You boyfriend dump you or something?

Asuka looked at him with contempt. Did he have to be so damn blunt?...she still didn't trust him....

Asuka: Sort of, if it is any of your damn business....

Geffen took a step back and rose his hands up.

Geffen: Ok, Ok, sorry. Don't have to be so rude about it.....I just wanted to see if I can be of any help....

Asuka:...sigh....how?

Geffen smiled again and gave her his typical arrogant look.

Geffen: I was wondering if you would like to go back to my apartment with me....Now don't get me wrong, I just know some people who may be able to help you with problems, that's all. It's always good to have friends in high places...

Asuka ( to herself): Is this guy for real? Man....I thought I was conceited....but this guy is the god of all jerks....

Asuka (coldly): Is this how you get dates with all the girls you meet? You really need some new pick-up lines....

Geffen was taken aback for a second. No girl has been able to resist his concerned charm; then again all the girls he dated were superficial airheads with no self-respect...and Asuka wasn't one of those....

But, he could still make this work.

Geffen:..sigh...Fine. Sorry I bothered you, I only wished to help you out.

Geffen walked past her and proceeded onto the street.

Geffen: If you need any help, give me a call...I'm listed.

Asuka:...scoff....doubtful.

Geffen (disappointed):...fine...bye.

Asuka couldn't believe this guy; was he really so stupid to think that his lines would work on anyone? Who was he trying to fool anyway? The arrogance was really clouding his perception...

Asuka (to herself): Don't forget, YOU were like that once too Asuka. That prevented from seeing your feelings for Shinji.

Asuka's heart sank again once the name 'Shinji' crossed her mind. She was still unable to see how she could help him out....

And if she couldn't help him, she couldn't get close to him; she feared that most of all....

Being just friends was going to be difficult with this attraction to him; so she just HAD to find a way to get closer to him.

She could hear her phone ringing in her pocket; she must have forgotten to leave it at her apartment. She reached for it and half-expected for it to be Shinji wanting to know were she went...

But boy, was she ever wrong.

Asuka (picking up phone): ...hello Shinji.

Voice: I'am not Ikari, pilot Sorhyu.

Asuka nearly dropped the phone when she heard the voice on the other line. It couldn't possibly be...

Asuka: Ok, who is this? Is that...REI?! Wondergirl?1

Rei: You are correct pilot Sorhyu.

Asuka: B-but you can't be?! You're dead! You died....

Rei: Yes, I am dead. But now I am a part of everyone. I am not like other human beings; I don't die like they do. Instead, I simply transcend into what I originally was....Lilith....and Ikari's mother: Eva unit 01.

Asuka (to herself): hmph....stangely enough, that makes sense. Lilith is the mother of humans after all...it is no wonder she is part of all humans...

Asuka: So that's how you can speak to me, huh?

Rei: It is a rather complicated procedure, so I wish not to dwell in the mechanics of it all...if you don't mind...

Asuka: Sure Wondergirl, whatever you say....so, why the hell are you talking to me anyway?

Rei: That man....the one you just spoke to...is no ordinary man....

Asuka: You're so right Rei! He's an arrogant, ignorant jerk with no attachment with reality....

Rei: No, not that Sohryu. He just happens to be an Evangelion pilot: the pilot of Eva unit 05.

Now THIS had to be impossible. There was NO way that bastard could be an Eva pilot...

Asuka: Ok, I believe the fact that a dead girl is talking to me over the phone, but do you really expect me to believe that HE is an Eva pilot?!

Rei: No offense pilot Sorhyu, but you were no different from him....

It was true. She was just like him long long ago and she somehow became an Evangelion pilot.

Asuka:......yeah....I guess you are right....

Rei: But you are also unlike him Asuka. You had the will to change, and changed you did...I feel that you and Ikari will get along famously now.

Asuka:.......

Rei: That is why I am giving you this information....This new pilot is looking for Shinji...he is trying to get to him through you...he plans to use you, leave you, and finally, kill Shinji with the Evangelion. The man may look simple-minded, but he is still evil and must not be tempered with lightly...

Asuka started twitching with anger.

Asuka: he. wants. to. use. me....

Rei could sense the great anger rising from Asuka's body, and by the looks of it, the young man was to die in the most horrible way possible.

Asuka: He must pay for being so stupid....

Rei: Pilot Sorhyu you must lis-

Asuka hung up the phone. An idea had clicked in her mind, and all the peices just fell together perfectly....

She had finally found a way to help out Shinji.

First, she would collect info on that jerk and his Eva, give him a piece of her mind (which usually meant certain doom for guys like him), and tell Shinji all about it....

Asuka (to herself): oh Shinji! I finally get the chance to help you out! Maybe then things will work out between us....I hope...

Then a thought hit her. If this guy was a pilot, then there must be NERV personnel everywhere; not that it mattered, they apparently already found the two of them. But she still be as subtle as possible nonetheless...just in case.

She looked around for a phonebook in hopes of finding the phone number of Geffen Descartes. She eventually came across a newer looking phonebook and scanned the pages for his name. Fortunately, the guy was not lying and she found it right under his name. It said that he lived in the Tokyo-2 Municipal center: one of the more lavish high-rises in the city; in fact, they weren't that far away from it. The building was not run by NERV, so It must have been a private loft provided by the headquarters. If she was lucky, no one would recognize her....

Not that it mattered. She was going to try and help Shinji one way or another.

Asuka quickly dialed the numbers in the book and hoped that he would answer. Sure enough, the voice of the young jackass came out of the reciever.

Voice: Geffen Descartes speaking.

Asuka: hello...Geffen? Listen, I've called to tell you that I reconsidered your offer and.....

Setting: Asuka's apartment. 7:00 pm.

Shinji was sitting in the middle of the room, looking pretty depressed actually. Asuka just ran out of the room about an hour ago, and she hasn't come back yet....he tried calling her back earlier, but all he got was a busy signal...

Shinji (to himself): I sure did scare her off this time....I hope that nothings happened to her....

Shinji was sure that whole situation set her off and that she needed some time to herself in order to sort things out. But it was starting to get late, and she still hasn't returned home yet....

He knew well enough that Asuka could handle herself, but still...he could never forgive himself if anything bad happened to her...

Shinji jolted out of his depression to the sound of the phone ringing. He was hoping that it was Asuka calling him...maybe she wanted to meet up with him somewhere, or maybe she was telling him not to worry about her because she was with a friend or someone....

Boy, was he wrong.

Voice: Ikari...its me.

Shinji: Rei! Wow...long time no see...sorry if I was a little distant....

Rei: Shinji, I'am part of you remember? We are NEVER distant.

Shinji (rubbing back of neck): oh yeah...heh....I forgot.....so, what's going on?

Rei: It's pilot Sorhyu....

Shinji's heart gained several pounds and dropped to the pit of his stomach....something bad DID happen to Asuka....

Shinji (concerned): What happened to her Rei?! Is she hurt?! Please, tell me!

Rei: Keep your patience Ikari. She is just fine...but she is in serious trouble, and she may even get hurt in the process.

Shinji (slightly relieved):..sigh...okay, where is she then?

Rei: She is with a man named Geffen Descartes. He is the pilot of Evangelion unit 05 and has posted himself inside of the Tokyo-2 municipal center. He is just as arrogant and proud as pilot Sorhyu was years ago...but he holds a stong evil presence in him. He was sent here to fight you and capture Eva unit 01.

Shinji:...So why is Asuka with this guy? Does she know about this?

Rei: Yes, but she ran off before I could warn her....she went to his apartment in order to uncover information about the Evangelion unit he controls...but this man is manipulative to the extreme. If he finds out about her plan....she could be hurt severely....mentally and physically.

This was serious. Asuka usually could handle any guy that so much as looked at him wrong. But if Rei was worried for the girl's safety, then this guy must really be trouble...

Shinji: Ok then. The Tokyo-2 municipal building right?

Rei: Yes. But you may not make it in time; by foot or by public transport. She is already at his apartment, meaning that it won't be long before Descartes catches on...

Shinji couldn't believe it. Asuka was about to face certain pain, and he couldn't do anything about it. He hated feeling so helpless...

Shinji: arrgh.....there's gotta be some way to get there in time....I have to save her....

Rei: I may know of a way....

Shinji: What is it!? I'll do anything!

Rei: You can reach his apartment by using the Evangelion....YOUR Evangelion.

Shinji: ARE YOU CRAZY?! That thing can be spotted a mile away! It's got no cover.

Rei: wrong again Shinji....this whole city's got a cover...

Shinji looked out the window. Rain as usual...nothing new about that...

wait a minute....

that was it. RAIN was the cover....

Shinji: Of course! The rain would give the Eva a chance of escaping from sight! But still...what if I can't hide it? What if I have to run again? I don't think I should risk using the Eva....there has to be another way of saving her...

Rei: Time is running out Shinji....you've really got no choice.....

Shinji: But.....I can't.....there is just too much to risk.....There has to be another way!!!

Rei: If you want to save her you got no choice....

For the first time in his life, Shinji was at a complete dead end with his decisions. Either he had to go back inside of that horrid machine again and risk being seen or Asuka would be hurt....badly....

The thought of Asuka smiling at him somehow managed to pop into his mind. His heart felt great warmth just thinking about that smile. What would he do if Asuka was killed? Would he be able to live on?

Shinji (to himself):....what the hell am I doing? Why is it so hard for me to decide....hell, I really have no say in the matter....I said I will always be there for Asuka no matter what, and here I am whining about my fears....that's low....that's very low....

Shinji took a deep breath and prepared himself. His actions would most definitely lead to trouble in the long run...

Shinji:...Alright...I'll do it.

Rei:...thank you Shinji. Pilot Sorhyu certainly has entrusted her life to good hands. Don't let her down Shinji....

Shinji (smiling)...I won't.

Shinji's smiled faded as another possible conflict popped into his head.

But....how am I gonna get to the Eva?! It's a good 20 miles away from here....

Rei: Leave that to me. Just....be prepared.

The receiver went dead before Shinji could reply. He wasn't sure what the hell he was doing....all of this was happening too fast...And what did he plan to with the Eva when he reached Asuka? He most certainly couldn't put it back in the mountains...

Shinji:.....Rei....I hope you know what you are doing....

Back inside the cave hidden deep in the mountains, The Evangelion eyes glowed a twilight orange and sprung to life again. The huge behemoth started up all the operation systems and reached over for the discarded plug. With all its strength, it attempted to screw the plug in it's upper shoulders; but not so much that Shinji wouldn't be able to get in. With that done all that was left was to.....not attract a crowd....

* * *

Setting: UN base camp in the mountains. 8:00 pm. 

The night was particularly quiet at base camp. Not too much traffic to worry about either; usually the officers would be up to their necks in unbound traffic. But tonight, things were different. Tonight was finally the big break the officers have been waiting for...

Most of soldiers just went back to the tents to play a quick game of cards or to suck back on a drink or two, but the rest just stood at their assigned posts along the highway. Those that remained just stood along the side of road chatting about interesting stuff that was going on....like this rumor spreading around that Toji Suzahara was to be discharged for falsifying information....

One particular solider just stood next to one of the barricades all to his lonesome. He didn't really feel like talking to the other guys right now, nor did he care for a game of cards. All he wanted to do was think to himself. Of course, that didn't stop him from having a quick drink.

He walked over to the barricade and perched himself against it. No one was going to come through tonight anyway; things have been WAY too slow for that.

Then he heard a small rumbling sound in the distance. Apparently he spoke too soon; There was some big ass truck heading his way...sigh...obviously needing permission to pass the restricted area; oh well, it was his job, and he did it well.

The rumbling started getting louder.....much louder.

Soldier (to himself): Damn....that's gotta be one hell of a truck.

He stood there half expecting to see a giant semi truck coming around the side of the mountain, but no one came; and the rumbling was still getting louder....

If only the young man had looked up to see the giant robot jumping over his own head.....

Then the rumbling started fading away....

.....weird. He could have sworn it was a truck coming.....but oh well. Less work for him.

Soldier: hmph. Must have just been a tremor.

The young cadet took another shot of his drink as the dark monstrous figure behind him diappeared into the distance.....heading straight for the city.....

* * *

Setting: Tokyo-2 municipal building. Geffen Descartes apartment. 8:00 pm. 

Geffen: Here we are.

Geffen grabbed his keys and unlocked the door to the rather expensive looking apartment building. After finding the right key, he swiftly unlocked the door and walked right in.

Asuka just kinda stood there for a second and followed him in.

Asuka (to herself): damn it....he could have at least been a gentleman and let me in first...

Asuka's train of thought quickly derailed as she saw what the inside of the pad looked like. It looked one of those rooms you would normally see in an executive's apartment: there were several couches and chairs set up all around the room, A large bar on one sided of the room, and several other fancy-looking knick-knacks.

Asuka couldn't help but look in awe, these kind of places usually went to the big-wigs of major cooperations; so why did this guy have one? What strings did he have to pull to get this place?

Geffen: You like it? The company I work for gave it to me six months ago; apparently, one of their head bosses disappeared after 'resurrection' and they had no one else to give it to. So they gave it to the next best thing: me.

Asuka laughed weakly and turned her head in digust. True, this place was impressive; but this was not the kind of a place that Asuka would live in. It was way too artificial and uncomfortable for her, even if this guy wasn't living in it.

Geffen: I'll be right back; I just need to take care of something elsewhere.

The young man disappeared, giving Asuka the perfect opportunity to scavenge the area for anything useful....there had to be something here that could help out Shinji....

She looked around the main room; under all the couches, in every drawer, even behind all the picture frames (maybe there was a safe or something behind them...). All she found were a few pictures of him and a couple of his stupid looking buddies.

Besides that, nothing.

Asuka (to herself): Sheiss. There's nothing here. Maybe there is something in this room...

Asuka opened the door to what looked like a study. Bingo. If there was anything useful....it would be here....

She walked up to the desk and checked all the drawers for any documents on the Evangelion, NERV, anything.

But then again, why would they give such high-priority documents to a loser like this?

All the drawers were useless...except for the one on top...it was locked....

Asuka reached into her pocket and pulled out a hairpin. It was time to see if these stupid things actually worked. At first, the pin just kept twisting up and sounded like it got jammed on a few of the mechanisms, but soon enough, the sound of the drawer clicked and slipped open.

There was only one file here...

Asuka grabbed it and ignored the 'confidental' on it. Inside were various documents about Geffen Descartes...

Asuka (to herself): Let's see.....mother died at age 14...hmm....6 years ago....lived on his own since then....set to prison for six months for the assault and battery .....sent to a mental institution after the rape of two 18 year old girls.....released 2 years later; claimed to be 'cured'....

Asuka: Man, this guys twisted....how the hell did he get to be an Eva pilot?

Asuka skimmed through the files some more and found something else interesting; it was a medical history.

Asuka (to herself): tends to be very violent on occasion....particularly towards women.....semi-sadist....possibly due to sexual repression....

Geffen: Asuka? Where are you?

Asuka quickly put the file back into the desk and locked it back up. She quickly moved away from the desk as Geffen opened the door and walked in. He looked suspiciously at her...

Geffen (frowning): what are you doing in here?

Asuka: I was just...uhh....checking out the view from here! Yeah, it's really beautiful from here....

Geffen's expression changed back to his usual arrogant smile, one that would normally fool simple-minded girls.

Geffen: Yes it is...not as beautiful as you though...

Asuka (to herself): Sheiss.....what's with this bastard......

Suddenly, his expression changed to that of a predatory grin. He looked hungry for something....and Asuka could certainly tell what it was....

Asuka took a step back as he approached her slowly...

Asuka (coldly): Didn't you say that you were gonna help me out with my problem? That's why I'm here after all...

Geffen (darkly): I am gonna help you out.....trust me, you'll like it...

Asuka (to herself):...sigh....three....

Geffen was starting to get WAY to close for Asuka's comfort...like maybe a foot away...

Asuka (to herself):...two....

Geffen: Come on.....I'll show you the real way to mental health...

Asuka (to herself): one....

Geffen put both hands on her shoulder and went in for the kiss.

Asuka (to herself): He's dead.

Before Geffen could open his eyes, a swift, gut-busting fist went right into his face. He doubled back onto the ground in pain and stood up slowly. But before he could get up completely, Asuka grabbed him by the shirt and tossed him out of the door. He flew a few feet across the main room and onto one of the couches.

Geffen (to himself): Fuck...that's one strong bitch....

Geffen tried once again to stand up, but he was not really prepared to have a wine bottle smashed across his head. Asuka had apparently gotten to the bar area....

Geffen: Ah, FUCK! YOU STUPID WHORE!

Bad move.

Asuka twitched with anger and kicked him straight into the balls. Feeling the ultimate male pain caused Geffen to fall back onto the ground. This time, it looked like he wasn't gonna get up.

Asuka: You psycho. Did you really think you pick up girls with those lines?! And has the words 'jumping the gun' ever mean anything to you before? I mean, I'm barely here for five minutes; and you already are heading for first base. Schiess..

Geffen just groaned in pain as Asuka walked back into the office, grabbed the documents, and headed for the door.

Asuka (smiling): For your information, I would never even consider liking a bastard like you. You just fell into the trap planted by the great Asuka Langely Sohryu...

Asuka turned around and reached for the door knob.

A gunshot rang out....

Asuka could feel a sharp pain in her left leg, and a warm trail of blood started traveling down her body. He had a gun. This whole time, that bastard had a gun.

Asuka (to herself): Sheiss! I should have known...stupid! Stupid!

Asuka collapsed to the ground. The bullet really hit something good; she was unable to stand at all with this leg...

Geffen on the other hand, was still able to stand; just barely though. The pain within his inner thighs was still evident, but now he had the upper hand. He slowly staggered over to Asuka with his gun still pointed in her direction.

Geffen: You bitch....do you really think I'm that stupid....to let just ANYONE in here without being prepared first?

Geffen reached over and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her away from the door. Asuka screamed out in pain.

Asuka: OWW! YOU BASTARD! LET GO!

Geffen dropped her next to the couch near the window and pointed the gun down at her. He was still cringing from the pain...

Geffen: fuck....you really hurt something you know?....I probably won't function properly thanks to you...

Asuka (grinning smugly): I should have made you a unic while I had the chance....

Geffen growled at her comment and kicked her in the thigh. Asuka howled in pain again. Tears started forming in her eyes. Geffen spotted this, but he couldn't care less about it....she needed to learn her place around him...

Geffen: But I can still get what I want...and then.....it's lights out for you bitch...

Asuka's eyes widened as the Geffen reached for the kill once again...but this time......there was nothing she could do about it. She could not see a way out of this damn situation....

He really was going to rape and kill her; not a real desirable way to die at all...

Asuka (to herself): Oh god.....I'm sorry Shinji.....I didn't get the chance to tell you....my feelings...I only wanted to help, but now...it's over...it's all over...

Geffen began to unbutton Asuka's shirt, moving his face closer to Asuka's....

Then the lights when out. Geffen stopped abruptly and looked around. He covered Asuka's mouth and listened closely. He could swear that he heard the sound of rumbling...and it was getting louder....a lot louder.

Then there was the sound of glass shattering and the room was filled with a blinding light. Asuka turned her head slightly to see two bright orange, glowing eyes staring back at her. She could the sound of heavy breathing coming from the monster....

It was Evangelion Unit 01

Geffen just stared in horror at the thing. He had never planned on this happening....nor was he prepared....

Shinji: Hello.....looking for us jackass?

Shinji managed to get inside the plug when the Evangelion arrived to his apartment. Now the it was under his full control.

Asuka bit Geffen's hand hard and pushed him off of her with all her might. Geffen just clutched on to his hand and scooted away from the beast as far as possible....

Asuka: Shinji!

Shinji: Asuka...thank god I made it....are you ok?

Asuka: A little hurt...the bastard shot me, but I'll be alright.

Shinji: HE SHOT YOU?! Aw shit...Asuka, I'm really sor-

Asuka: Shinji? What did I say about saying 'sorry'? I'll be fine.

Shinji:...ok...hop on.

Shinji extended the Eva's arm across the broken window and flattened it out so that Asuka could sit on it like a platform.

Asuka slowly staggered onto the Eva and Shinji carefully wrapped the giant hand into a fist, so that Asuka wouldn't fall on the trip down.

Shinji: You should really learn to respect others ya know Geffen? Or else, you wind up dead....

The Evas glowing disappeared as it climbed down the side of the tall highrise. Apparently, Shinji had used the thing like a ladder to get up here...

Shinji: Another day, Geffen.

The Eva disappeared into the dense cover of rain, completely out of sight. Geffen got to his feet and staggered over to the window and looked down. He wasn't too sure, but could swear that he saw Eva Unit 01 and his pilot make off with the girl. Unfortunately for the renegade, he made the mistake of blowing his cover....

Geffen looked down and started laughing maniacally

Geffen: I FOUND YOU, YA BASTARD! YOU HAVE NOWHERE TO GO NOW! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU AND THAT BITCH TOO! AND THEN I'LL STAB CORPSE JUST TO MAKE SURE! HAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU'RE DEAD YOU HERE ME!? DEAD!

* * *

Shinji walked along the wet streets of Tokyo-2, his destination being Asuka's apartment. Asuka was asleep in arms; her confrontation with the maniac Eva pilot exhausted her only a little bit, but she was still unable to walk with her bum leg. 

Shinji would have to remove the bullet himself and hope that it didn't hit any bones or anything. If that was the case, then she would have to risk being seen. After all, NERV would most certainly be after her too now for abusing their last Evangelion pilot.

Shinji felt Asuka shifting in his arms. She slowly open her eyes and looked at Shinji sleepily.

Asuka: ummm....Shinji....

Shinji (smiling): Hey Asuka.

Asuka: Where are we?

Shinji: We're going home...

Asuka: But...what about your Eva...I swore I saw it.....

Shinji: You did, but you don't to worry about that right now...

Asuka sighed deeply and looked up at the rainy sky.

Asuka: I only wanted to help you out you know....

Shinji:.....I know....and there is always next time....

The two figures disappeared under the dense stream of rain. Neither knew what was to come next, but they did know that they both needed to get out of this town somehow...

And there was only one place to go.....the only place where they can stop this endless chase....Tokyo-3.

* * *

End of Chapter 8 

For me, this chapter was pretty hard to write. For one, it was starting to get really twisted near the end; and two, this chapter doesn't seem to have a convincing Asuka/Shinji plotline. I may just be crazy, but those two things bugged me the most.

Plus, things seemed to happen too fast....God, I hope not....

Oh well. As usual, please keep on reveiwing! This fic is far from over (at least I hope so) and it is always nice to hear your guy's opinion on this fic. Great motivation ya know...

I'll try to update as soon as possible. So until next time, I'll see you all later!


	9. Titans

Disclaimer: Don't own Eva. (I own the soundtrack though.... which is brilliant...)

Hello everyone! another update!

Not much to say...really......so..uh....here ya go!

* * *

Chapter 9: Titans 

Rain again.

Nothing ever changes in this city, even when you are being hunted down by a major defense organization. It has been exactly two weeks since Shinji became a fugitive, and things were starting to heat up now. The appearance of this new Eva pilot, Geffen Descartes, prompted Asuka to go and attack the pilot head on. Her plan both succeeded and failed; in that she found valuable information about Geffen, but she got very hurt in the process, almost raped too.

Thankfully, Shinj was there to save her from this mess returned her to safety. The only problem being, of course, is the fact that Asuka's assault on the pilot would cause distress at NERV headquarters. The result of her actions put her on the top of NERV's hit list, right up there with Shinji Ikari. NERV would probably resort to more drastic measures now, since Asuka drew the first blood in this fight.

Shinji should be absolutely furious with the girl at this point; after all, she ran off without warning, stole important information from a NERV Evangelion pilot, and nearly killed the man in the process. Now all the attention was on her now, and they probably had the idea of where she lived too. That means that they had to leave her apartment soon, but that also meant for Asuka to leave her job, her few friends, and her life behind...

But for now, they could rest for a while. The attack on the Eva pilot would buy them some time, and Asuka needed medical treatment. After all, the pilot managed to shoot her straight into the leg; she would be lucky just to be able to stand...

Fortunately for her, Shinji knew enough medical training to remove the bullet carefully from the wound, as well as to repair it. They have been inside of Asuka's apartment for about six hours now, and Shinji was just finishing up on patching up the leg. The only other part that hurt Asuka, was the side of her body which was kicked consecutively be Geffen; that is what Asuka claimed anyway.

Shinji (to himself): What kind of pilot would harm a girl like that....

Shinji was quickly reunited with the memory of himself choking Asuka to death, and he instantly dismissed the thought altogether. He put his thoughts back on Asuka's leg, which now only required a rather large bandage job around the leg. The bullet just hit a few inches above Asuka's left kneecap, nearly drilling into her femur. Shinji had to give Asuka some hefty ansthetics (which he managed to find at a local pharmacy), since removing the bullet was such a delicate process. As a result, she became more quiet and relaxed than Shinji had ever saw her before; apart from the times when she slept next to him though.

The medicine was wearing down now, and Asuka was starting to come more conscious of her reactions. She instantly felt a sharp pain within her leg and looked down to see what the problem was. Upon looking, she saw that the bullet was removed, and her leg was completely bandaged up. She was sure that it was Shinji's handywork.

Asuka (to herself): where did he go?

She stood up to her feet, regardless of the pain in her left leg, and let her eyes wander around the room. She spotted the familiar brown haired boy in the kitchen, cooking up a food of some sort. However, he seemed to get the idea that his clothes were monotonous, since he was wearing slightly baggy denim jeans and a grey hooded sweater. He heard a shifting noise coming from the middle room and turned his head to identify the cause. He smiled, seeing that Asuka had finally came to consciousness.

Shinji: Hi, I'm glad to see you're finally awake.

Asuka (smiling back): yeah.....what ya making in there anyway?

Shinji turned his head back to the pot and quickly took it off the burner. He placed it on a potholder and grabbed a bowl and a fork from the cupboard.

Shinji: It's just ramen. Nothing special.

Shinji put some of the ramen in a bowl and handed to Asuka. She gladly accepted, seeing that she had not eaten since yesterday. Anything sounded good right now. She started inhaling the noodles as if they were just the air around them. Shinji looked at her in bewilderment.

Shinji:....wow.....hungry?

Asuka didn't answer and just continued swallowing down her supper. Food seemed most important right now. This gave Shinji the opportunity to tell her his plan.....and knowing Asuka, she may not take it very well at all....

Shinji:....I'm glad that you like it....cuz...well.....I needed to make something quick. You see Asuka, I think that it would be best if we....well....leave this city....tonight.

Asuka choked on her noodles and spatted them all over Shinji's face.

Asuka: WHAT? LEAVE?! WHY?!

Shinji wiped the noodle remanants and looked at Asuka sternly.

Shinji: Come on Asuka....think about it.....You just can't just beat up an essential NERV employee and walk away scot-free. They're after you too....and if my guess is correct, they know exactly where you live....

Asuka's eyes widen a bit at hearing this. She was so excited with trying to help Shinji, she never realized that her actions only made things worse. Her plan was, ironically, flipped backwards.

Shinji: I think that we should pack up some gear and leave in about an hour....the sooner we can get outta here....the better.

Asuka:........

Shinji: Asuka....what's wrong?

Asuka kept her head bowed.

Asuka:....I'm sorry.

Shinji kept looking at Asuka, but now he seemed a little confused.

Shinji:...what?

Asuka: It's all my fault....if I just went home and avoided that jerk....then we would have a little more time...I'm sorry...

Shinji chuckled a little and smiled. He was not used to Asuka being this way, even though he liked her like this. He was used to Asuka snapping back at him and attacking viciously with a couch pillow (Asuka seemed to be the only one capable of making a couch pillow blunt and deadly). But the way she was acting right now....was so familiar to Shinji.

Asuka (surprised): What's so funny?

Shinji: Nothing....you just....remind me of me.....apologizing like that and all.

He sat down across from Asuka and still smiled at her.

Shinji: Don't worry about what happened yesterday. Bad stuff happens all the time, even when we have good intentions in mind. It doesn't really help to keep on dwelling on the mistakes we made in the past, hell, it only makes us screw up even more. So it is just best to accept the fact that bad stuff will happen no matter what you do, and move on. Try to make the best of things, you know.

Asuka felt like the baka for once. Here she was, worrying about stuff that happened and not doing anything to make the situation better. She felt like a total fool...

She had to learn to forgive the past.

Shinji (chuckling):...heh....but who am I, preaching about self-pity.....you're usually the one lecturing ME about that....

Asuka (smiling): yeah....but you're right Shinji.

It was now Shinji's turn to listen.

Asuka: Everything you said.....was exactly the kind of things I've been avoiding all my life.... Thank you....

Shinji was just glad to get throught to her. Helping her out with her problems gave him satisfaction as well, so doing this maded him feel much better as well. He simply smiled and looked at her.

Shinji: You're welcome.....Asuka.....

Asuka giggled a little and winked at him.

Asuka: ....remind me to give you a special reward later...when we get outta here. (seductively) I'm sure you'll like it...

Shinji (blushing):.......ok, Asuka,, bbbut you don't have to....

Asuka: hee hee...modest as usual.

Shinji sighed a little and stood up. It was time for less talking and a lot more working.

Shinji: Well, we should probably get ready to go. We ain't got much time left I'm sure...

Asuka: right.

In a matter of minutes, both Asuka and Shinji were walking (or limping in Asuka's case) around the apartment looking for the proper necessities. They would need clothing, food, some blankets, a couple of light weapons, medical supplies, etc. Asuka had the clothing part pretty much covered since she went shopping the day before, and Shinji could easily take care of the food part. Shinji and Asuka would then just take their futons with them, since it was their only form of shelter available. The only thing they needed was a first aid kit, and something that could be used as a weapon.

Shinji: hey, where is the first aid kit?

Asuka: The top shelf of the kitchen cupboard.

Shinji walked into the kitchen and reached inside the cabinet. He was able to find the medical aid, but the damn fell out of the cupboard and onto the floor; it also caught the file Asuka brought back from Geffen's apartment, spilling the contents of the folder everywhere.

Shinji: damn it....

Shinji reached down and started picking up all the papers and began putting them back in the folder. He never did look inside of this file, seeing as it was just probably background history and shit like that. Stuff that was really boring.

Then something caught his eye. It was a medical report....

No...more like a mental record....

Shinji:......rapist.......disconnection from reality, resulting in mental trauma and extreme aggression....

Shinji flipped through the rest of the files and found something that surprised him.

Shinji (to himself): He was cured two years ago, but he went back to prison for brutally raping a young woman one year ago....doctors still say he is completely mentally stable.....no signs of abnormality in the brain nor signs of chemical imbalance....meaning....he was aware of his actions.....he....just didn't care.....he wanted to do it for his own satisfaction....

This guy was evil. He was pure evil.

Shinji dropped to his hands and knees and looked down at the files with apprehension and fear. Never in his whole life had he ever met someone who was completely evil; someone who joyed in the pleasures of sin...his eyes widen at the very thought of what he could have done to stop such a monster....

Shinji:........

Asuka was rolling up her futon when she saw that Shinji was not working anymore; he was lying on his hands and knees. He was looking at something, but Asuka couldn't make it out.

Asuka: Shinji?

Shinji:......

Asuka (concerned): are you ok?

Shinji: I should have killed him......

Asuka: What?...killed who Shinji?

Shinji: I should have killed him.....I should have killed him.....I should have killed him.....I should have killed him....I shou...

* * *

Setting: NERV base camp deep in the mountains. Early morning hours. 

The commander sat at his desk, contemplating on what his next maneuver should be. He had just received a report on what happened last night; and personally, he was not happy with it in the least. But he remained calm and composed like a good general should.

He grabbed the clipboard set on his desk and read it over and over again.

Commander:...sigh...lets see.....at around 20:00 hours, Geffen Descartes and a young woman being described as Asuka Sohryu entered Descartes apartment in the Tokyo-2 municipal building. There, she managed to collect classified documents from his office within the said apartment. 15 minutes later, she assaulted Pilot Descartes and attempted to leave the building through the main entrance. Descartes stopped her in her tracks with a military issued 9mm handgun....sigh...then Evangelion unit 01 appeared out of nowhere, took the girl with it, and left Descartes unharmed.

He casually dropped the clipboard from his hand and stared over across the desk.

Commander: right?

Geffen: Yeah! And don't speak like I'm not here! Damn.....

Commander: Are you sure that's all that happened? You didn't see where it went? Did you see anything at all?

Geffen: sir, all I remember was being beaten down and left for dead by that girl. She tried getting away, but I stopped her and restrained her to an armchair carefully. Then out of nowehere, unit 01 just pops up and takes her away! The rain was so dense, I couldn't even see 3 feet in front of my face....

The commander laid back against his chair and stared at the ceiling with exasperation

Commander: Then we got nothing....

Geffen looked at the general with utter disbelief.

Geffen: What the hell do mean we got nothing?! We have her fucking address for crying out loud! We can just bust in and haul her scrawny bitch ass to the ground. Then we just kick the shit out of her tell she's dead!

The commander was completely furious now. NO ONE talks about the Evangelion pilots in that matter of voice. Not even some punked-out bastard with a death wish. He reached over and viciously grabbed Geffen by the shirt collar, getting right into his face.

Commander: You listen to me punk, they maybe be our targets, but that gives us no reason to kill them. OUR mission is to just recover the Evangelion and the two children. NERV plans to handle the rest in a matter they see fit. I don't why they made a shit headed asshole like you an Eva pilot, but I can sure as hell say that you are not fit for such an honorable role.

Geffen looked back at the general with an equal amount of contempt.

Commander: Our mission remains the same: We find them, then we'll bring them back. They shall not be killed in the least. And if you violate that order in ANY way at all, I'll string you up by the balls personally....

He looked at Geffen straight in the eyes, expecting the pilot be completely scared and silent. But to his surprise, Geffen didn't to seem to flinch from the general's little speech. In fact, Descartes was smiling....and chuckling. This didn't seem right, usually Geffen would reply by just simply walking away and calling the commander an 'old fucker' or something of the sort. But this...this was unnatural of Descartes....

Geffen (evilly): 'string me up by the balls' eh? I'd bet you'd love that.....seeing as you love to see pain general...you just love this line of work...where people get hurt left and right...then they scream out in agony...especially those fine young men you call soldiers......you may think that you are a man of good intentions....but you wear a mask too....you are nothing more than a fucking sadist....

One would think that the commander would try and bash the hell out of anyone for saying such things, but instead the General looked.....panicked. Even frightened.

Commander: SHUT UP! SHUT THE HELL UP YOU LITTLE BASTARD!

Geffen just rose his hands in the air and started backing up towards the door.

Geffen: No need to get aggressive General. I don't really want to pry into your pathetic life anyway....all I really desire....is that girl....and the destruction of Shinji Ikari...

The commander pulled out his gun and pointed it directly at Descartes.

Geffen: Listen, I don't care if you're a pilot, you stay the hell away from your Evangelion. That's an ORDER! YOU HEAR ME?! AN ORDER!

Geffen simply smiled.

Geffen: Oh, come on now you old fucker. I would think nothing of the sort. I'am under oath ot never use that thing until YOU command it. So, my hand is forced obviously. Good day General.

Geffen stepped out of the tent and walked away nonchalantly. The general fell back to the chair and stared at the entrance way. He had been around Geffen long enough to know that the boy was some sick, egotistical freak. But the moment when Geffen starting chuckling.....that was when the Commander felt true, unaltered fear spread throughout his body. The boy....Geffen Descartes...was not all he appeared to be....

He was something much worse.....like pure evil.....a truly cunning evil that reciprocated Geffen in every way....like there was a totally different being inside of him.....

Geffen walked along the side of the highway, pondering quietly to himself. He stopped in his tracks abruptly to look over at the patch of trees just a mile away. There his Eva was: glimmering from the sunlight coming through the clouds overcastting Tokyo-2.

Then an idea crossed his mind; why not kill Shinji? He made a total fool out of Geffen last night after all...and he and his girlfriend seemed to be more trouble then they are worth. Besides, he made that vow to himself that he would kill Shinji....no matter what.....

And that meant he must do it by any means possible....

He casually shrugged his shoulders and smiled again.

Geffen: I suppose I really got no choice.....like I said, my hand is being forced.

He slowly changed his course and started heading for the forest; to his Evangelion: The pitch black beast that plagued the very dirt it sat on.

With this weapon, Shinji shall die....and die by the hands of Geffen Descartes.....

* * *

Shinji: You ready Asuka? 

Asuka threw her backpack and futon over her shoulder and smiled back at Shinji.

Asuka: Yes. Let's go!

Shinji repeated Asuka's action and the both of them hurried out of the door. Asuka was still limping from her wound, but she could move pretty fast nonetheless.

They were both ready for this new journey; all that was left to do was to get to their destination.....

Comet to to think of it, what was their next destination? They were so busy getting everything ready that Asuka forgot to ask.

Asuka: Hey, Shinji?

Shinji:.......

Asuka: Hello? Shinji, are listening to me?

Shinji was still too deep in thought over what he saw in that file. He had never thought that NERV would stoop so low as to recruit a mental case as an Eva pilot. But what bothered him even more was the fact that the man he was talking about was NOT a mental case at all. He was perfectly healthy in every way possible....he was just....evil. And more so, Shinji let him escape from his grasp without knowing the truth behind the mask.

The darkness known as Geffen Descartes was still lurking this city...somewhere...and once he shows his face, complete pandemonium will insue....

Shinji's mental drive was completely shut down when a hand came across his face swiftly, making him jerk to one side. His face stung badly...but now Asuka had his full attention.

Shinji: OW! What is it? Jeez....

Asuka: hmph. You finally woke up baka....I just wanted to ask you..

Shinji continued to rub the side of cheek, but his attention was still kept on Asuka, in order to prevent further injury...

Shinji: yeah?

Asuka: where are...we....go....i...ng......Sh....in....

Shinji looked confusingly at Asuka. At first she was bitching at him for not paying attention. Now she was gaping at something with her eyes wide open. What the hell was she doing anyway?!

Shinji: What was that? Asuka...you were saying?

Asuka slowly pointed her finger behind, still completely frozen in fright over God knows what. Shinji reluctantly turned his head and looked in Asuka's direction. He could understand why she was gaping....he was about to do the same too.....

It was a giant black monster. You couldn't see it at first though, you could only catch a quick glilmpse of it when it passed by a building. And even if you couldn't see the monstrosity, you may just get curious of the rumbling noises that spread throughout the city....

Shinji and Asuka both grabbed onto something as the rubbling grew louder and more intense. Shinji scanned the scene in front of him for any sign of the huge, pitch-black monster....

Then a horrifying thought came to him. What if the angels were not all dead? What IF they actually missed one that was never expected?

Shinji (to himself): no, that's impossible. That thing can't be an angel. Why would it be here anyway? Third impact already happened. It's kinda pointless to be here on Earth, let alone Tokyo-2.

The rumbling subsided temporarily, seeing as the monster was walking away from them. Shinji grabbed onto Asuka's hand and sprinted to the elevator. Once inside, Shinji continued pondering the previous subject...

It if wasn't an angel, there was only one thing that monster could be, and honestly, he wasn't too excited about it.

Shinji: Eva unit 05.

Asuka turned her head at Shinji curiously.

Asuka: hmm?

Shinji: That's Eva unit 05, the second edition obviously. That must mean that Geffen is piloting it.....and he's looking for something....or someone...

Asuka knew what Shinji was hinting at, but she kept her cool nonetheless..

Asuka: That bastard....he can't let anything go can he?! Wait a minute, do you think NERV approved this?! Why the hell would they send an Evangelion into a populated city?!

Shinji merely looked down.

Shinji: It wasn't approved. He came on his own will. Innocent lives are at stake, but it doesn't matter to him until he gets what he wants.....and I'm sure it is us he wants....

Asuka: If he came on his own will, then that means he must have complete control over his Eva too.....

Shinji: People are gonna die.....and it's all my fault.

Asuka looked over at Shinji, not believing what he was saying.

Asuka: Are you feeling sorry for yourself again?! This really isn't the time...

Shinji: Don't you understand?! I could have killed him last night, at the building! It could have ended there, but no.....I decided to let him live......WHAT THE HELL HAVE I DONE?!

Shinji clutched his head in agony and started crying out loud. This would put massive guilt on anyone, meaning it was especially intense for the baka. He could barely stand making a bad meal...

Asuka knew that if she didn't do something to help Shinji, they would have a repeat of Third Impact's destruction....

Shinji kept crying until he felt Asuka's hand darting across his face. He instantly stopped crying and looked over at the girl. She looked at him contemptly, like she was expecting better from the boy.

Asuka: Listen to me Shinji, what happened last night was not your fault. You didn't know that Descartes was a complete lunatic, so how you were supposed to know that you should kill him?!

Shinji:...sniff....he's more than a lunatic Asuka. He's not a lunatic at all actually. He brutually raped and killed a woman last year: one year after he was cured. They re-examined him again for any problems, but they found none. They said that he was perfectly healthy and that he killed the girl because he felt like it.....don't you see Asuka? This guy isn't crazy, he just loves getting what he wants......and if he doesn't, things get worse.....he's pure evil Asuka....like the demons of hell...

Asuka looked at Shinji solemnly and repeated everything he just said back into her head. She never considered that scenario; she always thought that Geffen was just a deranged maniac and always will be one. But then she remembered reading that he was cured inside the documents as well....there was no other explanation. Rei was right about him, Geffen was evil.

Asuka could relate to what Shinji must be going through right now. Hell, she went through the same exact thing just a few hours earlier (a little less dramatic maybe...but still the same). And because of this understanding, Asuka could once again try to help out Shinji the only way possible. There was no way she could fight along side him right now, or ever for that matter. All she could do right now was to calm him down and encourage him...

Asuka took a couple of steps closer to Shinji and spoke softly to him.

Asuka: Listen Shinji, I know that you feel bad for not killing Descartes last night and a lot of people MAY die today as a result of it. But you can't go on feeling bad for yourself like this. YOU told me that it is always best to forgive the past and to focus on what's important right now. It's kind of stupid if you don't even follow your own advice you know....

Shinji:........

Asuka: Here's what you should do. Stop worrying about what you did and go defeat Geffen. By doing that, you could prevent the deaths of A LOT of innocent people. If you just sit here and worry about it, then more people will die Shinji. You'll just feel worse about it then.

Shinji:......

Asuka: Shinji please, I think that it is best for you to do the right thing and take action.

Shinji still remained idle, as if he didn't hear a word she said. But Asuka knew damn well that he could hear her loud and clear. So why wasn't he responding to her?

Maybe he was afraid. Maybe he didn't want to go back inside of the Evangelion....because he was still afraid of it. Or he could be afraid of hurting civilians if he used the Eva...

Whatever the reason, his mind was in complete turmoil. His mind needed to be eased, and Asuka knew only one way to counter this.....

Shinji felt something warm suddenly press against his face. He looked down to see Asuka's moist lips pressing against his.

She was gently clutching onto his shoulders, reaching up and kissing him. Shinji didn't know what the hell brought this up....but he felt.....better. Her lips were so soft and warm....he didn't want to break it just yet....

He closed his eyes and slowly returned the kiss. He was still new at this and he probably wasn't handling it well....but Asuka accepted his advance nonetheless. There they were; the two of them kissing as the elevator descended into the chaos that awaited them on the city streets. They both needed this moment of complete solace.

They both learned something from this experience. First of all, this was a HELL of a lot better than that kiss they shared six years ago. And secondly.....they both felt that, even after everything that happened between them, they could be finally be together....at long last...

Shinji never thought a day like this would come for him: Shinji Ikari, the famous, pitiful, over self-concious, pilot that can't seem to get a break.....falls in love with the arrogant, super-egotistical, equally self-conscious Asuka Sorhyu; who then, in turns, returns his affection. That was one hell of a love story for him.....

The elevator stopped all the sudden; they were at the ground floor to ground zero. Asuka slowly and reluctantly broke the kiss and looked at Shinji lovingly. Shinji looked back at her with strong ease. His mind was stable and his aim clear: He must stop Geffen once and for all.

There were really no words they could say to one another right now. All that needed to be said was projected through that single, desirable kiss; Asuka now felt like she had finally helped out Shinji in a great way, and Shinji got his motive as a result. Henceforth, neither of them said a word to each other, merely looking into each other's eyes for answers to their most emotional questions.....

Then a dark, rumbling voice broke the silence.

Geffen: Shinji Ikari! I know you're out there! Show yourself!

Shinji stepped out of the elevator and looked around the corner of the building. There stood the giant black Evangelion, several hundred feet down the street as if trying to call out Shinji. Along it were several wrecked cars and the sound of people running away frantically. Shinji could spot several scars and craters along the building walls; obviously created by the Evas enormous arms. He could see smoke in the distance and debirs scattering as the wind picked it up. Geffen apparently had done some good damage already.

Geffen: Come on out you pathetic piece of shit! Show me what you are really made of! They call you the famous Third Child: the one able to sync with Evangelion at 49 the very first time! Well Shinji, you are about to meet the man who synced at 97 the first round, and a perfect sync each time after that!

Shinji:........

Geffen's impatience got the better of him....

Geffen:...sigh....face it Shinji. You're gonna fight me......

The Eva out stretched one of it's metallic arms in front of it's body. It looked like it was about to.....destroy something......

Geffen:...whether you like or not.

The Eva's arm moved away from it's body and severely punctured the side of the building next to it. The Eva reached inside the building as if it where looking for something; it then jerked it's hand out of the building and clutched several support beams in it's hands....

Shinji (to himself): SUPPORT BEAMS!? HOLY SHIT!

Shinji watched in horror as the Eva walked two steps forward; the large building collapsed downward....most likely killing the majority of the people in that building.....

Shinij cringed in pain. He never intended for it to go this far....

Geffen: Show yourself you sniveling coward, or else the next building goes...

The unit stretched out it's hand again and prepared for another attack.

Shinji wanted to stop the bastard, hell he'd love to. But he hid the Eva within the bay, and he really couldn't reach in time.....and if he'd tried, a lot more people would probably die.....

Shinji: What do I do....what the hell do I do....

Asuka walked behind Shinji and grabbed his hand supportingly. She lifted towards her face and placed it on her cheek softly. She gave him a determined grin.

Asuka: calm down Shinji...if you lose focus, more will die. Just....try to imagine that....you ARE the Evangelion. Try to think that the both of you are one....

Shinji gave in, seeing as he was completely out of options. He took a deep breath and concentrated hard.....he tried to imagine the smell of blood-scented LCL, the flickering of the controls, the soft cushions of the pilot's chair....and of course, the everlasting presense of his mother....

Shinji (to himself): Mother....help me...please....

Several miles away, a pair of eerie orange lights appeared 1,000 fathoms under the dark, murky bay. Then the bay started getting unstable, as large waves started crashing back and forth against the pier. Some of the workmen got curious and looked over the dock to see what was going on. They knew pretty damn well that the waves near the pier didn't get this rough unless there was a tropical storm heading their way, and there was no such storm to be accounted for. Those who were curious about the waves fell back harshly as a huge jet of water knocked them twenty feet across the pier. Those who recovered quickly looked up to see what the source was.

They really couldn't make out the description that well, but they could make out that a huge, beast-like creature had, for some reason, boosted straight out of the water and cut across the pier. Some of workers darted to the other side of the pier to catch a glimpse of where the monster was headed to (the rest kind of fainted at the sight of a 100 foot behemoth jumping across the bay).

It looked like it was heading for the mountains....where Tokyo-2 resides....

Geffen: Shinji....you really are a coward...sigh.....spineless piece of shit....

Geffen slowly moved his hand again, preparing to attack the next building that was closest to him. And just when Shinji thought that Geffen was going to deconstruct the next high rise, the Evangelion stopped in mid-attack and stayed like that for a few seconds. It neither made a sound nor flinched in the least.

Shinij: What's going on......

Shinji's question was soon answered as a faint sound of rumbling filled the air. The rumbling steadily grew louder and more intense.....but it wasn't Geffen, no.....Geffen was still standing there....

Shinji never thought he would see the day when he was actually delighted to get his Eva back.....

The rumbling became louder and louder; Shinji and Asuka could feel the tremors beneath their feet vibrating like crazy....

Then the rumbling stopped.

Out of curiousity, Shinji peeked his head past the corner again to see if his Eva had finally made it.....

It wasn't there.....

Shinji: What the- Where'd it go?!

Once again, Shinji got the benefit of a quick answer as the huge, bio-mechanic, monstrosity came somewhere out of the sky and landed just ten or twelve feet in front of Shinji and Asuka: It's eyes glowed orange....but they glowed passionately with confidence and the desire to protect.....

This was his Evangelion.

Geffen laughed maniacally at the very sight of the unit.

Geffen:HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!! HOLY SHIT, YOU'RE ACTUALLY GONNA DO IT?! YOU'RE REALLY GONNA FIGHT ME AREN'T YOU?!

Shinji's Eva extended it's hand as Shinji and Asuka both hopped on. The Eva's hand moved slowly towards it back to where the plug suit was. Shinji and Asuka kept their faces turned from Geffen.

Geffen: hmph......well I must say, you ain't much of a coward if you want to fight me...that just makes you a complete fool for thinking that you have a chance at defeating me! You must live up to your reputation of being a complete idiot as well as a coward.....

Shinji turned his slightly, looking at the Evangelion straight in the eyes. Geffen's smug grin fell the second he looked at Shinji's face. Shinji's face gave him a look that said 'I'm gonna bring you down'.....

But that wasn't what worried Geffen. What worried him was the unusual confidence he could see in his eyes....it wasn't just any confidence.....it looked Shinji KNEW he was gonna win no matter what....

But that didn't stop Geffen from backing off. He remained in his spot, waiting patiently for Shinji to get inside his Evangelion. Descartes may have been a complete bastard, but he was looking for a fair fight....that would make things a little more interesting....

Shinji helped Asuka climb up onto the Eva's shoulder and into the plug's doorway. Shinji took control of the pilot's seat as Asuka perched herself directly behind him. Unit 01 then gently pushed the plug into it's back and prepared for command.

Shinji could see it. The familiar flash of colors filling the plug, indicating it's preperation for battle; and the dull yellowish glow of the LCL surrounded him like a blanket. Within minutes, the two of them had a clear view of the surroundings in Tokyo-2....there was the skyscraper Geffen destroyed.....the smoke and debris left in the wake of his destruction.....the thousands upon thousands people running away, sensing that a battle was to insue.....Shinji even now got a good view of unit 05....

A really good view....seeing that it was two feet in front of his face.

Shinji: WHAT THE-

Geffen: too slow.

Geffen took the Evas arm and hooked it right into Unit 01 abdomen. Shinji took a couple of steps back and cringed in pain...

Shinji: Son of a bitch....I wasn't even ready.....oww.....

Geffen merely shrugged it off.

Geffen: thems the breaks.

Geffen followed up his statement with an array of pummels to the chest of unit 01 (Shinji's abdomen was already under painful stress, so that didn't help matters much), a couple of right hooks to the head (that REALLY hurt....), and a kick under underneath the Eva's feet. Shinji fell back-first onto the ground.

Asuka: Sheiss! He really doesn't like to fight fair....

Shinji silently agreed with Asuka and looked around of options. The street was almost completely cleared of people.....the rain was still going.....the streetlights are on.....

Something clicked in Shinji's mind as he took his hand and drilled straight into the street.

Shinji: If doesn't want to play nice...then neither should we!

Shinji found what he was looking for and pulled a large electrical cable right out of the ground. He got to his feet and started tugging on it....

The large cable started breaking out of the ground all the way down the street when it finally broke about a hundred feet away. He grabbed the cable and swung it around and around over his head.......

Geffen (confused): What the hell is he doing.....

Shinji then snapped the cable to towards Geffen like a whip and lassoed him good and tight. It was so damn tight that Geffen couldn't even move his arms....

Geffen: SHIT!

Shinji (smiling): Get ready for some fun....

Shinji yanked the cable high over his head (carrying unit 05 with it) and smashed into the ground on the opposite side. Geffen hit the ground hard and loud.....the crash alone probably created a fairly high magnitude tremor....

Geffen's back felt most of the brunt, but the most noticeable damage was to his left arm....he couldn't even move it....

Geffen: damn it.....that was clever you bastard.....

Geffen broke of the loosen knot around him and stood up shakingly. This wasn't looking good for him....those fighting moves should have put Shinji down for a good few minutes....but he somehow managed to get up without a scratch...

And here was Geffen with a bad back and a malfunctioning arm....

Geffen (to himself): shit.....he's better than I thought....but...I can't let him win that easily...time for the secret weapon....

Geffen got to his feet slowly, crouched down into a skilled fighting position and....

Ran off.

Unit 05 was running away from unit 01. it turned the corner among the skyscrapers and disappeared out of sight.

Shinji: where is he going? Is he chickening out again or something?

Asuka: No...he must got something planned.....follow him, but be cautious.

Shinji obeyed the orders and jolted past the corner towards Descartes. He saw unit 05 twenty blocks ahead of him, running at full speed down the long stretch of road. Shinji followed after him, but he was trying to be careful not to step on any civilians.....which was difficult, considering he never had to fight angels in crowded city streets before....

Shinji did manage to close a good distance between them, despite the crowds. Geffen was mildly surprised.

Geffen; shit....he's pretty fast too.....no matter....he won't escape this...

Geffen once again sharply turned the next corner and disappeared from Shinji's sight for a second. Shinji carefully increased his running speed and turned the corner Geffen disappeared behind.

Unit 05 wasn't there. It just...vanished....

Shinji stopped abruptly and looked around in every direction, scanning for the possible places unit 05 was hiding. He couldn't see him...anywhere.

Asuka; Damn it! Where did that jackass get to now?!

Shinji: Hold on.....do you hear that?.....

Asuka remained quiet for a second and listened intently. She could hear several loud clicking sounds outside the metallic walls of the plug. It was faint and barely recognizable, but Asuka knew that noise...it was the sound of....

Asuka: SHINJI! DODGE!

Unit 01 rolled over to the left upon reflex and was greeted to the sound of bullets hittng the ground; puncturing the ground where he was once standing. The crater was fairly large...only one thing could make that...

Asuka: The bastards got an Assault rifle!

Geffen: YOU STUPID BITCH! YOU MADE ME MISS!

Shinji looked up to the source of the voice and spotted Geffen. There he was on top of the high rise with his gun pointed straight at him. Unit 05 must have scaled the skyscraper right after turning the corner...and he must have had a gun hidden near there this whole time.....

Asuka: WHAT?! WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!

Geffen: urrggh.....would you just SHUT THE HELL UP?!

Geffen once again pointed his gun at unit 01 and pulled the trigger. A spray of bullets emerged from the shaft and headed Shinji's way. Shinji anticipated this and sprinted down the street, away from the bullets and Geffen...

He turned the next corner sharply, nearly being hit by the rifle. He was now completely out of Geffen's view.

Geffen: Damn it.

Geffen grabbed the gun and jumped straight off the building, landing only a few meters away from the crater the weapon made. He then went after Shinji with his gun raised and finger on the trigger. Cautiously, Geffen stopped at the corner and put his back against the side. He peeked over the side, checking for any sneak attacks; a few seconds later, he flipped around and pointed his gun down the street.

No Unit 01.

Geffen slowed his speed down and started strafing around the blocks, gun ready for the target.

Geffen: hmm....you're still around here aren't you? You know....you could just make a run for it....but then I'd probably destroy this city before I come after and fight you elsewhere.....heh. answered my own question.....

Geffen pointed the gun down the next corner and found no such Evas....

Geffen: but there is another reason isn't there...why you won't run away....what is that reason Shinji? Tell me...

Shinji: You must die.

Geffen pointed the gun in the direction of the voice. He once again found nothing. Unit 01 was just too fast....

Geffen: oh...is that your reason? Why Shinji....why must I die?

The Eva remained silent, wherever it was.

Geffen: Is it because I'm evil? Is that it? Not crazy...just evil.....that must be the reason.

Shinji remained quiet, but he was still surprised to see that Geffen recognized his own fault.

Geffen: hmm....I see.....

Geffen's voice changed....it didn't sound like his....his voice was always arrogant and irritating...but this voice was dark and....creepy....like a dark alter ego of sorts.....

Geffen: You know Shinji...believe it or not you ain't that much different from me....I mean, you had a passion to kill another too.....

Shinji gasped.

Geffen: And I'm not talking about me....no...you want to kill me for the better of the people.....and that's honorable...but before that.....you tried to kill a very close friend of yours....one that you would ironically die for.....

Shinji understood what Descartes meant and looked at the girl behind him....he had almost completely forgotten about that......

Geffen: Yes....her Shinji....why did you want to kill her anyway? Was it because she was unhappy? Were you trying to be noble by unleashing her from the bonds of living? Was she making you miserable? Did you want her to die to relieve your OWN pain?....how wonderful of you...so selfish....

Shinji tried to ignore Geffen's string of accusations as much as possible, but they seemed to weaken him at every turn....he was slowly starting to believe that.....Shinji, he himself, was.....murderously evil....

Geffen: You may think that it is gone Shinji, but that is a fool's paradise.....believing that the evil has left you for good....that's not true in the least. Your darkness is just dormant...that's all....but, what if that part of you where to emerge again? What would happen to the girl then? Would you be able to live with knowing that she died by your hands? If I am evil and I must die......then shouldn't you too? It is only right after all....

Shinji covered his ears, unwilling to accept the endless stream of truths....it couldn't be true.....it WASN'T true....he couldn't possibly be.....evil. And he would never EVER hurt Asuka again, right?

Nothing seemed to make sense to Shinji anymore. He increasingly struggled in his seat and and whimpered like the pathetic worm he thought himself to be...

Then he felt a pair of warm hands grabbing his.

He stopped shivering as he saw Asuka taking his hands and putting them back on the controls. She kept her hands on top of his.

Asuka (softly): don't listen to him Shinji. He's just trying to psych you out...

Shinji:....Asuka.....

Asuka:....that day....the day you tried to kill me......was the day when I saw a completely different person in your eyes. That was the person that tried to murder me, the person who tried to strangle me. I tried to call you back....and it worked. You came back and stopped yourself......then that person inside of you disappeared...

Shinji: then that means that.....sigh.....Geffen's right....

Asuka: No....he's not right. You were able to STOP that evil in you. And you also managed to banish that part of you, maybe even forever. And if that side of you comes back for whatever reason, then I know that will be able to stop it again. Shinji, you are more powerful than that evil can ever be....you must believe it....I do.....and I know you won't let me or yourself down.....

Shinji repeated the words inside his head.

Shinji (to himself): sh-she believes in me....

Shinji lifted his head again and smiled, gently squeezing Auska's hands.

Asuka:...Shinji?

Shinji: I'm fine now.....sorry if I had you worried...

Asuka smiled back at him and was about to reply....that is....until another wave of bullets appeared out of nowhere and started showering down on unit 01's hiding spot.

Fortunately Shinji was too quick for them. He responded to the assault by scaling the small building, landing on top of it's roof. Geffen stood behind him with his gun pointed directly at his head.

Geffen: Well, well....off guard I see....rest assured, I won't miss again....

Geffen reloaded the gun and aimed it at unit 01's head. Shinji slowly turned around and looked at Geffen in the face....

Geffen immediately lowered his gun and staggered back a couple of steps.

Geffen: WHA-WHAT THE HELL IS WITH YOUR EYES?!

It was true: at first, the Eva's eyes were bright orange, but now they were a dark crimson red. The color that usually symbolized bloodshed and carnage....

Geffen was completely frightened. He knew what this color meant.....It meant that the Eva was going to go berserk....he heard about the brutal and bloody attacks berserk Evas made....and he definitely didn't want to be in one of those...

Geffen:...I-IS IT GOING BERSERK!?

Shinji: No....I still have full control.....

This just frightened Geffen even more. How powerful can an Eva pilot be when it can control a berserk Evangelion? His shaky hands moved across the control panel, trying to locate the mechanism that would give him the diagnostics of Unit 01...

He managed to find it and the Eva's synch ratio.....

It was impossible...

GEFFEN: 4-4-4-400?! HE'S AT 400?! HOW, HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?! IT CAN'T BE.....

Shinji: it is.

Geffen looked in the direction of the voice and spotted Shinji hanging off the side of the Tokyo-2 municipal building. Geffen kept his gun lowered long enough for Shinji to gain the upper hand. This was one move that Geffen would eternally regret.....

Shinji jumped to the top of the skyscraper and pulled off one of the large radio antennas. This large, sharp metallic rod was a perfect weapon....

Shinji: Hey Geffen....guess what?

Geffen responded by shakingly raising his gun up at Shinji. But Shinji was still too fast. In one giant leap, Shinji jumped from the top of the building flew straight down towards Geffen. He held the spear-like rod above his head and.....

Shoved it right into Unit 05's cranium.

Geffen: uggg....gasp.....agggg....

Shinji: you lose.

Unit 05 was unable to operate no longer, and the pilot was in worse shape. Geffen was slowly bleeding to death...with no chance of recovery......

Geffen could see.....nothing....nor hear nothing......this was it....he was finally going to die....

Geffen:....but...gasp...I never.....agg....lose.........

Geffen spoke his last word as Unit 05 stumbled back off the edge of the small building and plummeting to the ground.....

The Eva and the pilot both dead.

Shinji jumped to the ground and looked down upon the pitiful sight. Something so massive and powerful was put into the hands of someone so irresponsible.....

Shinji stared at the monster for a few moments. Then he slowly turned around and walked away.....

His next aim was to head back to Tokyo-3 now. There, he could stop all this madness and maybe even find some answers to his unanswered questions.....

Like, who would make such an evil young man an Eva pilot?

With this new aim in mind, Shinji shifted his direction to the mountains and slowly walked the distance there. He was finished with his duties here. Tokyo-2 could rest peacefully once again.

The LCL from the deceased Unit 05 began to leak out slowly from the metallic beast and evaporate into the air. This signaled the release of a soul: The Evangelion and it's child, the pilot. Both were now free of the temptations of reality, and were given a chance to the promised land.....

But something else escaped from the Eva's body. No one could see it with the naked eye, but there a massive presence in that thing, and it was slowly leaking out into the air.....

An evil presence was making itself known again.....

* * *

End of Chapter 9 

oh yeah....that chapter was fun.....

I had planned to have a chapter like this since the beginning of the fic, so that was my main reason for not killing Geffen earlier...

I think this chapter turned out well, don't you? It may be a little abrupt in some parts, but I think it held together pretty well....(plenty of grammar errors too....oh well....)

as usual, please reveiw! That the key of motivation after all.....

I really don't have much to say right now....sorry....I just ran out of stuff to talk about.

See you later!


	10. Toji's Rescue

Disclaimer: MY EVA GOT DESTROYED! SOMEONE STABBED IT RIGHT IN THE HEAD!...sigh...but yeah, I do not own Evangelion. Gainax does.

Hey everyone! Here's another update!

Have at it.

* * *

Chapter Ten: Toji's Rescue 

Setting: Tokyo-2 streets. 2 hours after Eva incident.

There was just too much damage.....too much to handle....

Those two really did a number on the town. Unit 05 destroyed entire skyscrapers as well as every other building; that accounted for at least 200 million yen and the streets were absolutely torn apart with bullet holes. Normal bullet holes wouldn't be a problem, but we're talking about bullet holes that could fit one or two people in it; the holes themselves probably went down twenty or thirty feet in the ground....making them each seemingly bottomless pits. Now if you take ten of these pits and multiply it by , oh lets say,100, then you get a good idea about how much damage they do. Traffic would be screwed up for week's...months even. A city with never ending rain didn't need this much trouble....it was bad enough before that....

Luckily, the death toll was kept at a minimum low. In fact, most of the damage was purposefully done by Eva unit 05....and when Unit 01 showed up, there wasn't a single reported death yet. It was pretty much a miracle from that point on: not a single person was killed, several were injured, but none were pronounced dead. Shinji must have had the devil's luck on his side to pull off that....or maybe it was a miracle from God?

Whatever it was, the battle was apparently over with the death of Geffen Descartes: killed by unit 01 and Shinji Ikari. According to witnesses, Unit 01 punctured unit 05 straight into the head and through the other side. The Eva collapsed onto to the ground and caused a 500-meter impact radius. Plus, all the LCL was leaking out of it from all sides, which seemed extremely unusual; because...well....the Eva was stabbed in the head.....meaning all the LCL should only have leaked out there. But instead the Evangelion leaked from all sides like it's whole body had bled to death....

Ambassador Tyrone Remington looked at this whole spectacle first hand. He couldn't really believe that his pilot could be so reckless as to attack in a populated city; it was a fool's plan to try and lure out his enemy by purposefully killing others, but he should have really known better than to have done that. After all, that only provoked the enemy, Shinji, even more; and if there was one thing that Tyrone knew, it was that Shinji Ikari had A LOT more potential than Tyrone's pilot......quite a phenomenon that Ikari was....

Tyrone should have controlled his temper back in that conference room. Because of his actions, the pilot was put under the jurisdiction of the UN camp near Tokyo-2 instead of under Remington himself. NERV felt that the UN could have better control over Geffen compared to a man who could barely stand being in the pilot's presence. Boy....were they wrong....

Tyrone (to himself):....sigh.....if only I was there....at the camp.......I could have stopped him....and avoided THIS......heh....it must be cruel of me to be glad that Descartes is dead at last.

Tyrone was actually the first to take action after the battle. NERV headquarters gave him permission to overlook the recovery of the pilot and his Eva just as long as they are both taken to America for burial and dismantling.....there was no use for the black Eva anymore. Remington immediately organized the UN to bring in as many cranes and other machineries as possible. The medics were sent in to obviously handle the physical damage done to the citizens of this city, and they had their work pretty much cut out for them (especially with all the demolished skyscrapers and such). But sure enough, the situation was under relatively good control, and the reconstruction of the city could soon begin, just like Tokyo-3.

In just a matter of hours, the Eva would be ready to be picked up and taken back to America, as well as the body of the former pilot Geffen Descartes...killed in battle. Remington stood beside the Eva, watching the whole thing before his eyes.

Voice: Tyrone!

Tyrone wasn't looking forward to seeing this person. He turned around to face Commander Katsuragi: the commander of the NERV facility in Tokyo-3. He knew he was going to have to face her sooner or later....and from what he heard, she could be pretty brutal to those who enraged her....

Tyrone:....Well, well....Captain Kasturagi, glad to see you can come. Heh...how did you make it here anyway? You saw the streets right? I don't think you can even call them streets anymore...

Misato was not amused....at all.

Misato: cut the bullshit Tyrone, you know how I got here; and don't act like I don't belong!

Tyrone: Ok! Ok! Sorry! Listen....why don't we just get down to business?

Misato: We should have done that from the start Remington. Why are here?! Don't you know that this area is under the jurisdiction or Tokyo-3? Who gave you permission to run this operation anyway?

Tyrone: Come now Katsuragi. You know as well as I do that this is MY mess....This is MY pilot after all. I'm just doing my part to clean up this mess.....each to their own, right?

Misato knew perfectly well that Remington felt responsible for what has happened, but she was also in charge of an Eva that was responsible for this too. She had to do her part as well...

Misato: I understand Tyrone, but you should inform the personnel who are REALLY supposed to be in charge before operating a mission of this type...

Tyrone: yes but-

Misato: and you should also know that it is my duty to find Shinji Ikari and bring him back to NERV headquarters safely.

Tyrone noticed something odd about the way she spoke. Her primary objective was to find the Eva, since collecting that would render the boy powerless. But it sounded like she cared more for the boy's well being more than anything else.

Tyrone:......you're worried about the pilot aren't you?

Misato simply smiled and scoffed. What kind of stupid question was that?

Misato: Of course I am. What kind of person would I be if I didn't put the welfare of family before my job?

Tyrone didn't understand; he never saw Geffen as part of the family, he was more of a pain in the ass more than anything actually. So why, being that she was in the same position, did she care so much about the boy? Did they rub off on each other so much that it confused them?

Tyrone: family.....you see him as your family?

Misato (smiling): You really are naïve Tyrone....

Tyrone: hmm?

Misato:....sigh...well once you've been around someone for a long long time....they attach to you. Shinji's been living in my apartment for the long months before the final Impact. He was shy about it at first of course, but he slowly warmed up to his new home.....hmm.....I wish that....things could go back to the way they were....him and Asuka always fighting, never a quiet moment at all, and of course....all that beer. Man.....what a waste that was......Third Impact was too cruel.

Misato chuckled a little and smiled some more. She couldn't look any happier; all those memories made her so happy that she kept looking for her 'children' after they disappeared....she would never stop until those memories could be restored by a new life between them. And as if by miracle, she found him....and Asuka was discovered some days later....

She had a second chance at them becoming a family once again.

Tyrone kept a close eye on her and saw how she smiled when she spoke of the pilots. He wondered...would Geffen and him been like that if they were together longer......like a family?

Misato:...sigh...anyway, that's none of your concern Tyrone. I only came to check on your progress....did you manage to find the tracks Unit 01 left behind?

Tyrone snapped out of his mind set and looked down at his papers.....not much good though...the rain made them soaking wet...

Tyrone: oh...we managed to follow the Eva's tracks, yes. Did we find him? No. He apparently did a U-turn after coming to Tokyo-2 and headed straight back to where he originally came: the bay. We know that he is in there somewhere....we just can't find him.....especially with the equipment we got.

Misato rubbed her forehead in exasperation. No results once again.

Misato: Well then I guess we wait for it to show again.....damn it, I can't believe how hard it is for us to find it...

Tyrone: Yes....Shinji cleverly took advantage of our weaken state...

Misato: Any problems at all?

Tyrone (shrugging): nope, not really? Except.......

Misato:.....except what Remington?

Tyrone rubbed his head and chose his next words carefully.

Tyrone:.....sigh...there is something peculiar. It's the way the Eva and his pilot died. Many eyewitnesses, including myself, saw how the unit died. Unit 01 grabbed the radio antennae that stood on that building over there, and basically punctured the skull of Unit 05 and it's pilot.

Misato:....hmm....sounds right. No one would be able to survive a blow like that...well....apart from Shinji , but you know how....different....he is from the other pilots.

Tyrone: But that's the problem. NEITHER of them died from head trauma.

This grabbed Misato's attention.

Misato: WHAT?

Tyrone: We removed Geffen from the plug about an hour ago....there was no sign of cranial damage or puncturing of the head. In fact, his head was just fine. But then we looked at the rest of his body and there were little holes....everywhere. It was like someone took a scalpel and stabbed him in several places; and even stranger, there was no sign of entry wounds They were...ALL exit wounds, as if something came out of him. He died of blood loss...not head injury.

Misato: that is odd.....and the Eva? Same thing?

Tyrone: almost. That thing died of LCL loss basically.....but no puncture wounds at all. Just...leaked right out of it....

Misato crossed her arms and projected her mind into deep thought. This was an odd way to die...not just for an Eva pilot, but also for anybody. No one dies from exit wounds alone...instantly anyways. And even odder....why did it happen to them right then? What on Earth could cause such a thing to happen? Misato had to research this further...

Misato: Thanks Tyrone....I think that's enough for today. I'll be back to check on you again in three days. Keep it up!

Misato walked back to the chopper and waved at Tyrone. He acknowledged the wave and waved his fingers back at her. She hopped into the NERV chopper and lifted off the ground, not returning for a while yet.

As he watched the chopper fly past the mountains and to Tokyo-3, he couldn't help but wonder what she was going to do about Eva unit 01....

If she had to, would she really imprison her own 'family' when he is caught? How far would her loyalty to her family go?

He shoved that thought out of his mind as he looked down at the wet papers in his hand. That was the only copy of the status report...and now, it was mere mush in his hands. He sighed in exasperation and looked at the sky with contempt

Tyrone: Damn rain.....does it ever stop?

* * *

Setting: Inside Eva unit 01, deep in under the ocean. 

Asuka: come on Shinji....please?

Shinji: I-I can't......

Asuka: Please? Do it for me? I know you'll love it too...

Shinji: But Asuka....

Asuka: oh come on.....

Shinji: Asuka, I literally can't!

Shinji showed Asuka what he meant by pushing some of the buttons on the control panel. The Eva just wouldn't respond....it was like it's countdown was up...but that was weird because, technically, its countdown was always up...this whole time. But now, it just wouldn't do anything. The only lumination in the whole pod came from the small glowing lights all around them; and they didn't run on the Eva's power.

Asuka: try again baka! I'm sure it will work if you keep trying....

Shinji pushed the buttons several times again, but the power within the Eva still refused to start up again. It was completely dead.

Shinji: sigh....still nothing.

Asuka: aww....but I REALLY want to see it....it's so beautiful...

Shinji tried the controls one more time, but this time something weird happened. The Eva's power soon activated and soon the whole plug was filled with light.

Shinji: oh!....well....that's better....

Asuka: All right! Do it Shinji!

Shinji, now capable of following Asuka's demands, typed up a sequence of commands and entered them into the Eva. The Unit confirmed the action and the surroundings among them slowly came into view. They could see all around them now....

Asuka eyes swarmed with a mix of awe and amazement.

She could see the sun bathed water all around them, seemingly going on forever into the distance; the serene swaying of the underwater currents pushing them in different directions; the menagerie of color and contrast that could only be described as the tropical fish that inhabited this ocean; and everything....absolutely everything....was tranquil....peaceful......

Asuka laid back against the plug and looked at this wondrous sight all around her...she loved the way the ocean looked from underwater.....it contradicted everything that happened at the surface of the waves, making it's beauty even more defined. If she had it her way, Asuka would stay here as long as she could....

Asuka: sigh....Isn't it great Shinji?

Shinji: huh? Oh. Yeah. Right.

Asuka shook herself out of her gaze and look down at Shinji. He looked like he was in deep thought over something and was obviously not paying any attention to her....

Asuka: Shinji? Are you even listening to me?!

Shinji:.......

Asuka (angry): urgg.......BAKA!

Asuka raised her fist in the air and bopped Shinji across the side of the head. He was instantly jolted out of his mind set......painfully....

Shinji: Ow! (rubs head)...ow...what is it?.....

Asuka turned head to the away from Shinji and crossed her arms. She was not happy being ignored.

Asuka: hmph. Nothing....just showing you what happens when you ignore me.

Shinji stopped rubbing his head and smiled. She looked so cute when she pouted like that....

Shinji: come on Asuka...don't be that way....

Asuka completely blocked out Shinji from her senses. She was going to give him the receiving end of the punishment some more...

Asuka: hmph!

Shinji: Asuka...please, come on....

Asuka:.....

Shinji had to do something, or else she was never going to give in. The best thing to do was to apologize and explain...that usually got her around....

Shinji:....sigh...ok, ok...I'm sorry...I just got a lot on my mind....that's all...

Asuka stopped ignoring Shinji and gave him her full attention. He deserved it.

Asuka (softly): about what Shinji?

Shinji: I always wondered.....what ever happened to our friends after Third Impact? Are they all still in the city.....or what?....heh...I wish I could see them again...Toji, Kensuke, Hikari....all of the them.

He turned around and looked at Asuka

Shinji: sigh.....I was thinking....maybe we look for them? To see if they're ok?

Asuka thought this over carefully. She wanted to see Hikari as bad as Shinji had wanted to see his friends. But...that would once again mean risking their lives to find them. Not to mention that their friends would be at risk; NERV would probably tap the lines...seeing if they had any connection with Shinji and Asuka still...

Then it hit her.

Asuka: oh no. Toji....

Shinji: hmm? What about him?

Asuka completely forgot about her encounter with Toji a few weeks ago. He was looking for the two of them and was supposed to report back. She had asked him not to expose their location to anyone, and he reluctantly understood (or so she hoped). Since then, Asuka and Shinji didn't deal with any trouble from either the UN or NERV; that must have meant that Toji had gone through for them...

But what happened to him after the Eva battle? Did any of them find out about his knowledge of Shinji and herself? If they found out about it....Toji could be in some serious trouble; and Asuka would never wish that on Toji.

Asuka: Shinji....Toji could be in trouble.....

Shinji: what do you mean?

Shinji didn't have any idea what she was talking about. Is it possible that...she knows where Toji is?!

Shinji: wait a minute Asuka....if you think that he is trouble, then does that mean that....you know where he is?!

Asuka: sigh....I guess I'm going to have to come clean... Shinji, Toji found me at the restaurant about two weeks ago. We got in a little scuffle and he told me that he was part of the UN; he was looking for you Shinji...on behalf of NERV....

Shinji:.....

Shinji couldn't believe what he was hearing; Toji Suzhara, his most loyal friend (apart from Asuka), was hired to sell Shinji out to NERV. It...it didn't seem right...

Asuka: but he didn't tell Shinji; he kept our secret safe. I told him that.....if he was your best friend, he shouldn't turn him in.....he understood....and just walked away. I assume that he never sold us out at all.

Shinji felt relieved after hearing this; Toji really didn't seem like the type to cash in his friend. But....Asuka said he could be in trouble; but that must mean that....the UN found out about them.

And Toji must be taking the blame...

Shinji: oh no....

Asuka (concerned): You figured it out too huh? This isn't looking good for him.....

Shinji puzzled over this situation. Toji was pretty much dead if Shinji didn't do something about it.....

Asuka: Shinji what do you want to do? He is your friend after all...

Shinji:....we got to do something. He risked his life just to keep us safe, so we have to do the same in return. We really got no choice....but....how are we going to do it?

Asuka just couldn't believe how stupid this boy could be sometimes. He was sitting right in the solution to his problems.

She couldn't contain her irritation much longer.

Asuka: What are you stupid?! We use the Eva baka!

Shinji bonked himself in the head. He almost completely forgot about the Eva.....dumb move for someone sitting in it....

Shinji: Sorry...I forgot.

Asuka: stop apologizing! Urgg...you make me so mad sometimes baka......

Shinji turned around and looked at her.

Shinji: Whatever happened to that kind Asuka from a few hours ago? Is she still on break?

Asuka could feel the anger running up inside her again, but she caught herself before lashing out. He was right after all....she was just acting like her old self.....

Asuka: oh God! Heh...sorry Shinji; I don't know what came over me.....

Shinji simply smiled at her brightly.

Shinji: hey don't you start apologizing to ME now. Besides, I did like the old Asuka; but I love this one even better.

Asuka slightly blushed when she heard the word 'love' come out of his mouth, but she just shrugged it off and continued listening.

Shinji: Anyway, we just have to go in, rescue Toji from the camp, and get the hell out of there.

Asuka shook her head and spoke delightfully to him

Asuka: Yeah! And the UN won't be able to stop this thing! I'd like to see them try.

Shinji: You bet...let's get back Toji!

Shinji activated the Evangelion and crouched its legs, preparing to launch itself straight out of the water.

Shinji: hold on....

Asuka decided to be playful as she wrapped her arms around his waist. Shinji blushed at this but kept his hands firmly on the controls.

Asuka: Ok, ready.

Shinji gulped and launched the Eva straight out of the water and into the air. If his calculations were correct, the Eva could jump several miles in one leap (this was determined after his little escape from NERV headquarters). So making it to shore without having to go back into the water was no problem.

Sure enough, the Eva made it back to dry land in just one single jump, like some kind of a mad purple grasshopper. Of course, the impact of the landing caused the whole inside plug to shake violently (a concept that was easy to get used to after several attempts at long jumping). This time, however, Asuka's grip was more around Shinji than around the seat behind him; this, in turn, caused Asuka to fall over on top of Shinji.

Shiniji face-planted into the bottom of the plug and Asuka followed him immediately after.

Asuka (sarcastically): ow! wow Shinji....some landing that was!

Shinij (muffled): afuka, gef off ofm me.

Asuka looked down to see that she was sitting right ontop of Shinji shoulders, his head inbetween her legs. Seeing this made Asuka move off of him a little, giving Shinji a chance to move.

Shinji: gasp!...pant...pant..thanks Asuka......pant.....Asuka?

Asuka was too embarrassed to speak. She certainly gave him enough room to move, but all he did was flip around in order to get some air; and all Asuka did to give Shinji some room was move down some ways towards his legs.

In other words, Asuka was now sitting on top of Shinji's waist, with Shinij facing upward. This position was a little more compromising, but neither of them were prepared for such a thing.

Shinji and Asuka didn't speak for awhile; they just looked at each other, blushing like they typically would do in these type of situations.

But that shortly ended, when Asuka started speakly quietly and sensually to Shinji.

Asuka: Shinji.....

Shinji:...gulp....yeah Asuka?

Asuka reached over and slapped Shinji across the face lightly.

Asuka: YOU HENTAI! WHY DIDN'T YOU ASK ME TO GET OFF OF YOU?!

Shinji started panicking and threw out every excuse he could think of. But it all just kind of muddled together, forming one big mess of excuses.

Shinji: BUT!..I!.....YOU!.....JUMPING!..EVA!.....

Asuka (seductively):....is it because you like this Shinji? Would you like us to be in this position more often?

Shinji blushed even harder and his blabbering started getting more spontaneous. He wasn't able to combat this situation with his own comments; unlike the time back in Auska's apartment, where he was able to embarrass Asuka more than himself for a change.

Asuka had the upper hand now, and Shinji was certainly not going to stop his mindless stuttering.

Shinji: A-A-ASUKA!.....ACC-C-C-IDENT!....I-

Asuka stopped him immediately by placing a hand over his mouth.

Asuka: don't worry Shinji, I was only joking with you again.

Shinji calmed a little and took deep breaths.

Asuka: I had you going there for a while, didn't I baka?

Shinji (defensive): no. I knew you were joking the whole time.....kind of....

Asuka simply giggled and got off of Shinji's body. She extended a hand to Shinji when she got to her feet. Shinji smiled back to her and grabbed her hand, pulling him up back to his own stance.

Asuka: Come on. Let's go.

Shinji nodded and went back to the Eva controls, preparing to head towards the mountains once again.

Their only objective: save Toji Suzahara.

* * *

Setting: UN base camp in the mountains. Prison transportation. Nighttime. 

Voice: Well you really did it this time Suzahara....

Toji turned his head and looked at the man who addressed him. Suzahara wasn't really in the mood to take crap from anyone right now. He hasn't gotten any sleep for days and he couldn't even leave the tent when he wanted to. And it was because he did Shinji the favor of his life...

The man outside wasn't the least bit afraid of Toji. After all, Toji was the one inside the prison car, and the man was on the outside; giving this man the upper hand. He was gonna chew out Suzahara for the biggest mistake he's ever made since he joined the UN...

Man: Jeez Suzahara.....if you knew you weren't going to turn in your friend, then why did you take up the job anyway? Hell....why did you join the UN in the first place?

Toji lowered his head. The bench he sat on was cold...this whole car was cold. But, he wasn't going anywhere soon...so he might as well have some company.

Toji:....do ya think I had a choice in taking up the mission? Do ya think they would have sent in someone who didn't have the advantage I did? They would do whatever it takes to find him....even ruin people's lives....

Man: aw man....don't exaggerate. It's not like they're gonna kill the guy. They just want to lock him for a really, really long time. You know...like they're going to do to you, only longer.

Toji felt the anger rise in him a couple of notches. Where did this guy get off insulting him like this?! And who the hell is he?!

Toji:...whatever. Who are you anyway?

Man: hey, don't mind me sir! Just got bored watching the road, that's all. Thought I'd check up on the local 'prisoner of war'.

Toji was right, this guy was nothing more than a low rank officer in this camp. Compare that to Toji, who is about two ranks above this guy. You'd think low-rank officers would show some respect for their superiors...

Then again, Toji was no longer a superior; he lost his rank, his job, everything. Hell, he wouldn't be surprised if the commander had him executed. The guy was pretty damn furious with him after all. Toji had nothing to look forward to right now except for the ten long years he will spend in prison....

Man: But I must admit Toji, I'd love to have you as a friend. I mean, you were loyal enough to do something like THIS, so that the pilots could be safe. Man....that's loyalty for you....

Toji smiled slightly. It was good to hear some praise out of this whole thing. Toji didn't really mind going to prison too bad....since he did what he thought was right. His only wish was that others would see it his way for once, and that wish came true.

Too bad the commander never saw it his way. The commander blamed Suzahara for the incident in Tokyo-2, saying stuff like 'if only you told us sooner, this problem could have been taken care of a long time ago! Now look what you did!'. A normal person probably would have collapsed in guilt if they were accused like this, but Toji was different. Toji, being one who felt what he did was right, just didn't care. After all, Eva unit 01 was there to save everyone; what would have happened if Shinji wasn't around to save the day?

Toji (to himself): they should learn to be a little more grateful to their savior. He did stop that maniac from beating the shit out of all of them....

Man: You still didn't answer my question Suzahara.

Toji's mind snapped back to reality, causing him to respond instantly.

Toji: what?

The man just rolled his eyes and restated himself again.

Man: I said, 'you still didn't answer my question'. You know, the one about why you joined the UN?

Toji never really thought about that before honestly. After Third impact, he decided to spend most of his time looking for Shinji, seeing as he and Asuka disappeared without a trace. Toji was often worried about the fate about his friend, especially if he and Asuka had ran off together....you know.....eloping. Toji often shuddered at the thought of them eloping, motivating him to try and find him even harder.

Unfortunately, he gave up on that search; he decided that it was better to do something with his life instead of wasting it looking for a lost friend. At first...he wanted to join NERV, but unfortunately for him, Toji was just too......street smart...to be in NERV. He didn't pass the right exams, nor did he have the right requirements to get in. So he decided to go to his next best choice: the UN.

The UN's requirements weren't as extensive, and probably the best advantage there was to be physically fit enough for military. After joining, he easily rose up through the ranks and became a exceptionally well-trained soldier; after six years, he became one of the commander's best agents. And he should be too; after all, he was reliable, not too harsh with others (unless they REALLY pissed him off), and most of all, he was capable of doing any task right..

Except this one of course; the one mission he screwed up on. And as punishment, he would be sent to prison for ten years. End of story.

But he still didn't really answer the man's question.....why did he join the UN? Because he couldn't join NERV. But why did he want to join NERV?

Toji: Well....I guess I joined to......shit, I don't know.

The man looked at him thoughtfully for a while and then spoke.

Man: Hell if I know. But I bet it has something to do with that Shinji Ikari.

Toji knew that the man couldn't be anymore right. This DID have something to do with Shinji. Toji must have attempted joining NERV so that he could find Shinji with a little more help involved. After all, Misato became the commander after Shinji's bastard of a father disappeared; meaning that she would gladly help him in his search for his best friend.

Unfortunately it never turned out that way. Instead, he looked to the UN to help him locate Shinji. And sure enough, that plan was more than successful, in that he found Asuka as well (completely unexpected and almost unwanted). Too bad he had to pay the price for doing a friend's duty...

Oh well....At least Shinji was safe and as far away as possible...

Man: hey...did you feel that?

Toji rose his head in curiosity and listened carefully. He then slowly stood up inside of the cramped transport and walked over to the only other window.

Man: Do you hear that too?

Toji: SHH!

Toji rose his hand to the man behind the other window in the door and scanned the area outside. He could barely....just barely feel a rumbling noise. It was probably just another stupid tremor or a large truck, but Toji knew that it was something bigger.....MUCH bigger....

Toji slowly turned his head towards the other window, his eyes wide open. The man looked at Toji curiously and wondered what was going on.

Man: What's wrong?....Is it....bad?

Toji looked out the window again and stared into the distance. The rumbling was still very very faint, but he could still see the two bright glowing eyes a few miles ahead....

Toji: For you guys it is.....

There was a commotion going on all over the camp. Some of the soldiers were standing and pointing into the distance. Others were running into the tents and waking up their buddies, telling them to go look outside. The rest ran to the weapons cache and grabbed what they could.

One soldier in particular ran into the Commander's tent to receive orders on what to do in this situation. Once he entered, however, he was unexpectedly greeted with a loud snore coming from the General's mouth. The guy was sound asleep; obviously the work was too much for him.

Soldier: Sir! We got a problem!

The commander jolted to his feet and pulled out his gun and pointed it at the poor guy. The soldier just rose his hands in the air and panicked.

Soldier: S-sir! It's just me!

The commander recognized the man and put the gun back in its holster. He then straightened himself up and looked at the man.

Commander: Never scare me like that again....phew...what's the problem soldier?

The commander's question was answered with a large tremor spreading across the camp.

Soldier: that is.

The commander's eyes grew wide and he instantly darted out of the tent entrance, with the soldier following behind. He looked around and saw all the soldiers looking off into the mountains...they were shouting and running around...as if....

The enemy had just found their camp. And the only enemy that was plausible at this point was...Eva Unit 01.

The general turned his gaze to what everyone else was staring at. His insides began to quiver in fear. He was right, Unit 01 was heading straight for their base camp, and it was less than a hundred feet away. The ground shook violently with every step it took.

The General went into battle mode quickly and started throwing out orders.

Commander: Get some searchlights on that thing! Everyone, grab a weapon and prepare to attack!

Soldier: sir, that's crazy! The best thing we got are the rocket launchers! We can't possibly bring that thing down!

Commander: Well then nail him with the rockets while we wait for reinforcements! We won't be able to bring that son of a bitch down but we can keep busy till then!

Soldier: Yes sir!

The soldiers scattered in all directions, each one of them grabbing a heavy duty rocket launcher and placing them on their shoulders. The other men ran to the search towers and turned on the large glowing lights. Each one of them shined the four searchlights onto the target.

It was the Eva alright. It's large, purple metallic frame shined brightly against the intense glow of the searchlights.

Unit 01 was still moving towards the base, closing it in by 20 feet approximately. It was too close....they needed to attack and fast!

Commander: Ready men...aim.....and....FIRE!

Each rocket launcher went off simultaneously and headed toward its desired target. The rocket's exploded upon impact and clouded the whole vicinity with dark gray smoke and debris. Apparently, the rockets had more effect then the commander thought; they hit their target dead on.

The commander laughed delightfully and looked at where the Eva once stood, the dust and debris still heavy in the air.

Commander: HAHAHAHA!!!!! Good job men! We took that bastard down ourselves!

Voice: HEY! WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BASTARD?!

The commander abruptly stopped laughing and squinted. The dust and debris was still clearing, but he swore he could see the shadowy form of the Eva in the distance....

Then a pair of glowing eyes appeared in the smoke.

Commander: Damn it.

The smoke completely disappeared, revealing the Eva's monstrous form once again. It didn't have a single dent nor scratch on it. The rockets were completely ineffective...as originally expected.

Commander: heh...it figures. Reload the launchers men!

Voice: WHAT!? YOU'RE GOING TO TRY THAT AGAIN?! HOW STUPID CAN YOU BE?!

The commander didn't appreciate the snide comments and he was ready to chew out the soldier who said it; but....the voice was distinctly female, and his battalion didn't have any female soldiers'....so it must have been coming from the Eva......

Commander: DID YOU SAY THAT?!

Eva: OF COURSE I DID YOU IDIOT!! WHO ELSE COULD HAVE SAID IT?!....( Shinji: Asuka...maybe you should calm down a bit....)....NO WAY SHINJI! YOU SAW HOW THEY STUPIDLY ATTACKED US!

Commander:....what the- you're BOTH in there?!

Eva: Yeah, but don't worry. We mean no harm. (Asuka: UNLESS YOU WANT TO FIRE THOSE POPGUNS AGAIN!)....Asuka calm down....please listen sir. We only came for a man named Toji Suzahara. We have reason to believe that he is imprisoned in your camp. We want you to release him unharmed or else....

Commander: or else what?!

Eva: DO YOU HAVE TO ASK? COME ON, REALLY......(Shinji: Asuka please...let me negotiate.)

The commander looked over at the prison transport. There he was: Toji Suzahara, looking pretty gleeful to see his best friend coming here to get him out of a bind. The general usually couldn't stand touchy friendship things...it disgusted him.

The commander thought over Shinji's proposal carefully and went over all his options. He could give up his prisoner and have the camp stay in one piece, but that would mean losing the man responsible for the Tokyo-2 battle. Or he could not hand over the man, and he would still have a prisoner and a chance in defeating the Eva. But that chance wasn't good, and his camp would must likely be destroyed in the process.....

After a few minutes of quiet pondering, the commander made up his mind.

Commander: All right. We.....sigh....give in to your demands.

The commander turned his head disgustingly and looked over at the transport.

Commander: you there! Release the prisoner!

The quiet soldier nodded and fumbled with the keys. He grabbed onto the transport key and slid it through the card reader. The door opened and Toji Suzahara stepped out into the fresh, free world.

He stretched out his arms in delight and yawned.

Toji: aw....man it feels good to get out of there!...yawn...

One of the soldiers came up to Toji and grabbed his soldier, preparing to escort him to the Evangelion. Toji caught his hand at the last minute and looked at him coolly.

Toji: Whoa....hold it right there kid. Anyone ever tell you to never touch your superior? I'll go myself.

Toji pushed the soldiers hand away and swaggered over to the Eva slowly. All the soldiers stared at him relentlessly, like they were about to attack him or something; the commander even gave him a funny look, but it was more a face of disgust than of fear.

Toji smugly grinned at the general as he walked past him, and stood in front of the Eva. He raised his hand up and greeted Shinji.

Toji: Hey, hey Shinji! How's it going?

Eva: AHEM.

Toji (dully): oh..hi Asuka....

Eva: WHAT? IS THAT ALL I GET FOR SAVING YOUR BUTT?! I HELPED TOO YOU KNOW!!

Toji took a deep breath and sighed. Same old Asuka, as usual.

Toji: Sorry. Hey, how about letting me in now? It's kinda chilly out here.

Shinji lowered the Eva's hand, allowing Toji to place himself on the platform. Toji casually walked over and stood on top of the hand, preparing to taken up to the head of the Evangelion.

Toji: Hey commander....I give up. I relieve myself of my duties if that's okay with you. Goodbye sir!

Commander: This isn't over yet Suzahara!

Toji wasn't listening. He just signaled the Eva to go ahead and move its hand upward.

Within in matter of minutes, the Evangelion ejected its pod slightly, allowing Toji to enter the pod with Asuka and Shinji. Warm LCL poured out of the pod as the door opened; luckily, the LCL just poured down the side of the pod and onto the ground, not harming the internal workings of the Eva. Toji stepped inside and closed the door behind him. The Eva pushed the pod back into place and activated itself once again.

Eva: Thank you for your cooperation General. You saved yourself a lot of trouble....

Commander (still disgusted): ...scoff....whatever...just....get out of here.

The Eva responded by slowly turning around and heading back the way it came. Its steps shook the ground again, but slowly died down as the Eva disappeared into the background of the mountains. The loose dirt from the ground came up into the and floated among the ground like a mist, making the Eva's disappearing ever more ominous.

Soon the Eva completely disappeared into the darkness as the searchlights turned off. Soon, everything was back to normal: all the workers going back to their business and the weapons being stashed back into the cache. One of the workers jumped into the transport and revved the engine; there was no point in keeping this thing around anymore...

The only thing that stood out was the commander, refusing to move from the spot . He was breathing deeply, like he was angry about something. One of the soldiers took notice while walking by and shook him lightly.

Soldier: uhh...sir...are you ok?

The general turned his head and looked at the soldier furiously. The soldier took his hand off the commander's shoulder immediately.

Commander (enraged): He made a fool of me.....no one....makes....me..look...foolish....

The soldier looked at his commander like he was one of the angels. The General was taking this way too hard; no one got hurt and the camp was still in perfect condition. The only thing they lost was Suzahara, but he really meant no harm to them at all...

So what was the big deal really?

Soldier: uh...sir....are you proposing that we should do something?

General (sarcastically): No, I'm just talking to myself....YES, OF COURSE I WANT US TO DO SOMETHING!

The soldier stepped back a bit.

Soldier (frightened): O-ok...so, what should we do?

The General already had a plan in mind. It wasn't perfect, but it just might work.

General: Simple. Call up the big guns. We're gonna take that son-of-a-bitch down.

The soldier was still uneasy about this whole thing, but he really had no choice. He was just a low-level officer, and he had to do what he was told; even when it didn't seem right.

The officer looked back at the insanely angry general and sighed in exasperation.

Soldier: Understood sir. (to himself)....sigh...this thing could only end in tears....

* * *

Meanwhile...inside the Evangelion. 

Asuka: Shinji, he's doing it again!

Toji: I was not! it was an accident!

Asuka: Whatever! You've been trying to grab my butt since you came in here!

Toji: What?! Are you really that insane?! What makes you think I want to?!

Asuka: Because of your repression! Face it, you're uneasy since Hikari is not around to keep you company!

Toji (blushing):w-what? T-that's not true!

Asuka: oh yeah? You couldn't keep your eyes off her ever since I first came to that city...

Shinji just calmly controlled the Evangelion. He was most certainly not gonna get caught up in this one. He had to concentrate on the objective at hand, which was to get to Tokyo-3 unharmed. The best thing to do was to drown out everything around him and concentrate on his surroundings. Even if it mean ignoring the argument behind him....

And that was harder than it looked.

Shinji simply sighed and kept his eyes on the surroundings.

Shinji:...sigh....back together again at last. It sure is nice....

The Eva continued over the mountain landscapes as the two screaming voices echoed inside of the large purple monster. They were just one step closer to their goal.

* * *

End of chapter 10 

hmm. another decent chapter; I was pretty pleased :) The only problem is.....well.....from this point on, I really have no definite idea which direction the story will take. I plan to keep this story going for a while yet (in fact, I say that we are about half-way there), I just need to keep the plot flowing is all.

Not a really big deal. Especially since the majority of ideas I get are inspired by the reveiws, so please everyone, keep on reveiwing!

My updates are happening on a weekly basis now, so you can expect another update in about a week. I'll see you all later!


	11. Behold, There is a Stranger in our Midst

Hey everyone! First of all, I'd like to apologize for the late update. You all know very well that I had a dry spell in my writings, and I appreciate your understanding. Also, I'd like to also add that it was more than writer's block that held me back. It was a combination of the block, a shitload of homework, and....just plain slacking off (yes! I slacked off! I'm merely human, forgive me!)

Secondly, I'd like to once again point out that this fic WILL be finished to the end. I put a lot of effort into this story, and am not going to have it die in vain. Plus, it is my first fic after all; I wouldn't be much of an author if I gave up now. So rest assured, I will complete this fanfic. I will be fair and say that the process will be slow, but it will be done.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who emailed me their ideas and concerns about the fate of the story (especially Laser Crusader and couguard, whose ideas I took into consideration especially). I believe now that I have a good idea of what's going to happen from here on in.

So without further ado, here is the long awaited chapter 11. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 11: Behold, there is a stranger in our midst.... 

Setting: Mountain range outside of Tokyo-3. Nighttime hours.

They did it. At long last, they were free.

Well, not really free....to be honest. In lack of a better term, they were more or less outside the reach of NERV headquarters and the central government authorities. Having first escaped from Tokyo-3, then retrieving the former pilot of Eva unit 02, and finally freeing the former pilot of Eva unit 03. To their surprise, the latter of the three was given up without a fight; perfectly flawless negotiation.

And now, they could rest for a while. Shinji Ikari, Asuka Langley Sohryu, and Toji Suzhara could now get some well-deserved rest after several days of anguish and despair. There they all were; huddled around a campfire in the middle of nowhere with no protection or means of defending themselves....

Apart from the 100 foot biomechanism that is. Shinji's Eva was still, phenomenally, operational; and was running at full capacity. Hell, it was even better than ever. As if a new life had taken over the being. Shinji assumed that Rei had something to do with that, seeing as she was part of all beings. She must have somehow bypassed the Eva's set parameters and excelled them to a level of (dare he say it)God-like proportions. Indeed, Rei Ayanami was still the wonder girl, even after death.

Shinji put all thoughts of the Eva aside and stared at the fire. Toji sat opposite of him, staring at the heavens like he had never seen it before. Shinji couldn't really blame the guy; he had been locked up for several days straight, without any touch with nature; let alone the night's sky. He must feel pretty good now, being free.....like the rest of them.

To Shinji's right, sat Asuka; looking at the fire as intently as he was. Shinji couldn't help but notice how her dazzling red hair compared to that fire: dancing with energy, determination and passion. The very words that described Asuka. Shinji turned his head towards Asuka and smiled contently. She looked so beautiful in the pale night sky; the full moon showered the girl's face with light, giving her the appearance of what one might call....an angel. And an angel she was; his angel.

Toji: Hey Shinji!

Shinji jolted out of his trance and looked over at Toji.

Shinji:W-what?!

Toji just sat still casually. He saw what Shinji was doing, though he really didn't like all too well. Suzahara just simply smiled and gave Shinji the sly look.

Toji: What were you looking at Shinji?

Shinji blushed and frantically looked for an excuse. He really had no reason to be embarrassed; it was just part of his nature.

Shinji: N-nothing! I was looking at nothing!

Toji caught wind of his embarrassment; who couldn't? This only triggered Toji to cast off another humiliating comment.

Toji:..sigh...fine. But the night sure is beautiful isn't it?

Shinji: yeah...sigh....,she sure is.

Toji: What?

Shinji: I-I mean IT! I-IT sure is beautiful! The sky, not Asuka! S-she's not beautiful!

Asuka's head jerked suddenly, as if she had finally heard their little conversation.

Shinji: oh no.....

Asuka instantly broke out of trance, her eyes going into a murderous rage. She heard every word that Shinji had said, and she was wasn't going to let him get away with it easily. Asuka turned her head and locked on to her target: the poor frightened young man that sat no more than a few feet away from her.

Asuka: BAKA!

Shinji cowered to the ground and looked at Asuka with pure animal fear. She was going to kill him for sure....

Asuka stalked towards Shinji slowly and never looked away. Shinji backed away as much as he could while Toji just sat there and watched; like an audience member who got front row seats to a grand opera. He didn't want to get involved; besides, Shinji was probably used to this kind of abuse by now anyway.

Asuka was now but a few inches away from Shinji, her fists clenched and her face flushed with anger. Boy, did she look angry; Shinji could have swore that Asuka was bearing fangs at this point. His only chance now was to talk himself out of this; not that it worked before.

Shinji: Wait Asuka, I didn't mean it! I panicked! Please listen to me!

Shinji raised a hand and pointed his finger at Toji.

Shinji: H-he was trying to trick me!

Toji raised his hands defensively and looked back at Shinji in retort.

Toji: Whoa, buddy. You said what you said, not me. This is your problem, not mine...

Shinji continuously panicked as Asuka started to bend down towards him, her hands ready to pummel the living daylights out of him.

Shinji:S-s-some friend you are Toji!

He turned his head back towards Asuka and noticed that she was merely a few millimeters in front of his face. He gulped and closed his eyes in fear...

This was going to hurt.....a lot.....

Shinji kept his eyes closed for a few seconds, awaiting for that most certain death approaching him. But nothing happened. He felt neither pain nor wounds, as if she had restrained herself from attack. He opened his eyes and saw that Asuka had backed away from his face. She relaxed her muscles and smiled, taking a seat right next to him.

Asuka: sigh...its ok Shinji, I wasn't going to hurt you. Just....watch what you say next time, all right?

Shinji was paralyzed with a mix of confusion and relief.

Shinji:....

Asuka: sigh....and to think, I was going to give you a kiss instead. But no....you had to open your big mouth...oh well...

Shinji stayed silent for a little while. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry; once again, heremembered that last time the both of them kissed, and he got the receiving of the punishment. It was less than enjoyable that's for sure. Because of that, he felt somewhat relieved that Asuka didn't give him that 'kiss of death'.

Then again, there would be nothing better in the world than to share another kiss with the person he wanted to the most....

Toji took the this opportunity to harrass his friend once more.

Toji: Man Shinji....you look disappointed. Don't tell me that you want to kiss the red devil...

Asuka gave Toji a glare that could turn him into stone. She never liked being referred to as the Red Devil, EVER.

Asuka: Why you stup-

Shinji: Hey, at least I have a girl to kiss. Unlike someone else here....

Asuka stopped in mid-sentence and looked over at Shinji in astonishment. He actually made a decent, and very true, retort to Toji's growing string of embarrassing remarks. She was glad that his backbone had grown...or is growing, to be more precise.

Toji was also caught off guard by Shinji's response.

Toji: Hey! It isn't my fault I can't find a girlfriend.....

Shinji crossed his arms and looked back at Toji slyly.

Shinji: Actually it is...

Toji: Ah, shut up. Don't rub it in.

Toji turned his head away and started grumbling. That usually meant defeat in Toji's case, meaning that Shinji had the upper hand for the time being.

Shinji gave up the exchange of retorts as well, deciding to turn the conversation in a different direction. He took a deep a deep breath and looked up at the sky.

Shinji: you know...I wonder where they all are. Our friends I mean.

Asuka looked down at the ground and grabbed a stick, tracing it around in the sandy earth they sat on.

Asuka: Yeah....it would be nice to see Hikari again, after all these years. But we don't have to worry too much. I mean, Rei can find them anytime, anywhere.

This caught Toji's interest. He turned his head back to Shinji and Asuka, looking intently at the both of them.

Toji: huh?

Shinji: Yeah, no doubt that she'll find them. I just hope they aren't imprisoned or anything like that...

Toji: Who are you guys talking about? I thought I heard you say 'Rei'....

Shinji looked over at Asuka, realizing that he forgot something important to tell Toji. That importance being that Toji has not yet known that Rei was still alive....in spirit anyway...

Asuka looked at Shinji for a couple of seconds and nodded to him. She knew as well. Toji had as much right to know about Rei as much as they did. She was a part of everyone after all, and Toji was an Evangleion pilot to boot.

Shinji took a deep breath and chose his words carefully.

Shinji: sigh...she did say 'Rei', Toji. Rei's still alive, in spirit at least. She came to me after Third Impact and claimed that she was a part of everyone now. I wouldn't believe it at first, but then she showed up six years later....a few weeks ago....

Toji:....

Shinji: She spoke to me through the Evangelion and told me to get it out of NERV headquarters. She claimed that my Eva was still useful, and that it needed to defeat this great evil. I believed her and...ran away....

Toji took this all in slowly, still having an hard time understanding the whole 'Rei' deal. She was still alive?....and within everyone?....that didn't make any sense. It sounded like the ramblings of a madman. Still, Toji was interested. Maybe Shinji was right....

Toji: So...that's why you took it....

Shinji: Yeah, believe me...I wouldn't try to take the Eva on my own free will. Rei promised to help me find Asuka if I hijack Unit 01 and hide it. I did, and she kept her end of the bargain as well.

Asuka dropped her stick and stared at Shinji. She never heard about this; all she knew was that Shinji was trying to look for her. But Asuka never knew that that was his reason for stealing the Evangelion in the first place. And boy, did that come as a surprise....

Toji: And then you fought that asshole who was in the other Evangelion, rescued me, and here we are. Right?

Shinji: Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

Toji look at the others for a second and then nodded hesitantly.

Toji: Okay....I'll believe that . But I still have a hard time believing that Rei is still around...

Shinji: Don't worry about that Toji; you'll learn soon enough.

Asuka simply smiled and looked down at the ground. Shinji watched her intently. Her mind was worried over something...

Toji: All right, so what do we do now?

Shinji ignored Toji and just continued looking at Asuka. Something was really bothering her; hell, she didn't even appear to be listening to them at all anymore. It was times like this in which Shinji wished that he could get inside her mind and erase all her problems....

Was she worried about Hikari and Kensuke, or were there other burdens she puzzled over?

Toji: Hey! Shinji! Are you listening to me?

Shinji shook his head lightly and smiled stupidly at Toji.

Shinji: Sorry, I was thinking about....something. What did you say?

Toji looked annoyed and growled. He always hated repeating himself.

Toji: I said, "What do we do now?"

Shinji thought to himself quietly before answering. This was a tough decision, seeing as they had no prior objective at hand. His first instinct would be to find their friends and rescue them as well, but doing that would result in a one cramped plug; and it was far too difficult to find another hiding space hear in the mountains. What should they do next?

Asuka: We should understand our enemy first. That would give us a good advantage.

Shinji looked over at Asuka in surprise. She was paying attention to the conversation now, and she suggested something other than looking for their friends. This was certainly a change.

Shinji: You know, that's a great idea Asuka....

Asuka smiled lightly at Shinji, though a wink of concern sat subtly in her lovely eyes.

Toji: Yeah, that would be the best course of action, that way we can help the others if they confront the enemy.

Shinji smiled and nodded in agreement.

Shinji: Sounds good. But....are you sure that's what you want to do Asuka?

Asuka smiled arrogantly at Shinji, regaining some of her old fire within her eyes. She seemed to be more focused now....

Asuka: Of course that's what I want to do Baka!. Besides, looking for the others without the proper preparations could result in disaster.

Shinji was glad to see that Asuka was normal again; well....his definition of 'normal Asuka' anyway.

Shinji: All right, so that's the plan then. So....how do we find out more about it?

Toji:.......

Asuka:.....

Shinji: Any suggestions?

Toji pondered and puzzled for a while, then finally came up with a solution.

Toji: This sounds kind of crazy coming from me, but maybe Rei can help us with this mess. She has to know something about our enemy....

Shinji thought this over quickly and looked at Toji. He had no better plans....

Shinji: All right...sounds good. Asuka?

Asuka shrugged her shoulders and smirked at Toji.

Asuka: I guess I don't have any better ideas; good thinking Suzahara. You aren't as dumb as you look....

Toji: Yeah, I guess I'm not as dumb as I-....hey!

Shinji laughed a little, causing Asuka to join in with the chuckling as well. Toji just frowned and looked at the two of them seriously.

Toji:...Ok...ok....it's not that funny. I just don't....catch on that easily; give me a break.....

Shinji (chuckling): sorry Toji.....heh heh...All right, so it's settled. We look for Rei and find out about this enemy of ours.

Toji: Good...yawn....but let's do it in the morning. I'm way too tired to take in any information tonight....

Asuka (muttering): you can barely take in information when you're awake...

Toji: what?

Asuka:...I said, "I agree". We should all rest up and regain our strength. Right Shinji?

Shinji nodded in agreement and looked over at Toji. He was staring at Asuka suspiciously for a couple of moments, but he he gave up finally and laid back against the log he was sitting on. He relaxed a bit and pulled down his hat, covering his eyes from the bright, fall moonlighht.

Toji: You guys can have the pod if you want. I'll sleep out here.

Shinji (concerned): Are you sure? It's just going to get colder tonight....

Toji responed by zipping up his jacket all the way.

Toji: Hey, don't worry about me. I've been through worse, remember? Besides...I'd like to enjoy this freedom while it lasts. Haven't been outside in a long time....

Shinji:.....

Toji: Yeah, so you guys can share the pod. You're so used to sleeping together anyway right?

He chuckled mischievously and lifted his hat slightly to catch a glimpse of their faces. They both were blushing, apparently at a loss for words.

So it was true then....they really were together this whole time....maybe even intimately...

Toji shuddered from his last comment and lowered his hat again, allowing sleep to gently take him away. Asuka and Shinji remained speechless, both slowly walking back to the Eva. They needed some well-needed sleep as well..

Toji smiled a little and spoke softly, almost to himself.

Toji: Good night guys. Sweet dreams...

* * *

Setting: UN base camp situated 20 miles outside of Tokyo-3. night hours. 

Misato was unhappy, to say the least. If one wanted a true estimate, it would be wise to say that she was beyond furious; barely scratching the realm of murderous rage. She was at the UN base camp now, 18 hours after her meeting with Ambassador Remington. After that little meeting, she returned to Tokyo-3 via helicopter, and arrived face first into a new type of emergency.

Apparently, Eva unit 01 had once again made an appearance; this time, however, he was back in the mountains attacking the UN camp. Of course, 'attack' wouldn't be the best term to use.The unit merely came to recover the prisoner, and left without so much as putting up a fight. The camp was unscathed, and not a single soldier was hurt.

But it wasn't that incident that made Misato angry; hell, she was glad that the Evangelion rescued Toji. He would have just rotted in prison anyhow....

What made her angry was the aftermath.

She was told that General Tsubake had issued a nuclear strike against Unit 01, even after it distinctly left the camp unharmed. He felt humiliated after forcing to give up his only prisoner, causing him to go 'berserk'. The attack was issued, but none of the missiles got off the ground fortunately. Several, foresighted soldiers saw something fishy going on with the general; so they had him subdued and held prisioner until further notice.

Then it was Misato's turn to step in. She knew Tsubake for a long long time, and she always trusted his judgment before. But this.....this was unacceptable from even the best of military officials. What the hell has gotten into this kind yet strict old man?

That's why she's here. She had to interrogate the man; find out what he knows before he faced proper judgment from the courts.

Misato: Is this the tent?

Soldier: Yes commander. We kept him tied up here for the last six hours...he hasn't made a noise since...

Misato was rather curious about that. Didn't Tsubake even attempt to talk himself out of this? Very strange indeed....

Misato: So he hasn't spoken a word? What has he been doing?

The soldier just shrugged and spoke with uncertainty.

Soldier: He just...sits there with his head down. Like he's asleep this whole time...

Misato was still perplexed, but she wouldn't get the answers from the soldiers. She had to get the answers from Tsubake himself, if at all possible. She heard quite enough from this man and entered the tent casually.

There he was: the man that attempted to destroy the country because of a petty loss. He was restrained to a steel chair by 1000-pound test wire with his hands tied to the back. Misato couldn't make out his expression, seeing as his head was lowered.

The soldier was right: there was not a single sound coming from this man. She couldn't even her him breathing. He looked more dead than asleep...

Misato began to fell uneasy, like some kind of foreboding had came in and flooded the room. For some reason...she felt that this man in front of her...was not what he appears to be. She carefully situated herself into the chair opposite of the general and scanned him from top to bottom; Misato carefully chose her words, seeing as interrogation with him had to be delicate. She rubbed her hands together and spoke to him kindly yet firmly.

Misato: brrrr....certainly is a cold night out, wouldn't you say? Would you like a coat or something?

Tsubake:.....unnecessary. I don't feel heat.

The sound of his voice caused her spine to chill all the way up her back. His voice...was so cold...so emotionless. As if he had no good in him at all...

Nonetheless, Misato continued speaking.

Misato: Fine, then how about I ask you a question; a very simple question....

Tsubake:....If you wish.

Misato:....Why did you do it Tsubake? What made you do it?

Tsubake:........

A few minutes went by, but still nothing.

Misato: Let me ask you again, "Why did you do it Tsubake?"

Tsubake:........

Still nothing. Misato expected as much coming from a man so stubborn. After a few minutes, she once again attempted the question.

Misato: Tsubake, listen to me. If you refuse to answer the question...then we will have no choice but to-

Tsubake: my name is Iruel.

Misato was taken aback completely from his response; if her memory served her right, then Iruel was indeed....

Misato: the 11th angel? You claim to be the 11th angel....

Tsubake nodded slightly.

Tsubake: correct, I am he. The one that you believed to be dead.

Misato closed her eyes and sighed in exasperation. Tsubake was playing tricks to save his ass. Well, he was not going to get away with that.

Misato: Aright then...tell me, how did you survive?

Tsubake: After my strategic attack upon the Magi super computer, I was ambushed by a device that was equally cunning; no....even more cunning than I, thanks to the brilliance of you're former chief technician.

Misato:...Ritsuko....

Tsubake: Correct. Unfortunately, her efforts died in vain. You see, after the attack, the remaining parts of my nano-body went into a state of self-defense. Like when a bacteria builds a protective cover around itself in order to withstand extreme conditions. My remains merely deactivated themselves, making deletion impossible. Without readable data,....my nano-technology is merely an average computer part, undistinguishable from the rest.

Misato:.....

Tsubake: Unfortunately, I could do nothing while in this state. I had to remain dormant to survive, and survive I did. I remained within the Magi system for six straight years....until....

Misato: Until parts of the Magi were removed....

Tsubake: Correct again, commander. Hence, I no longer had a threat. But in a twist of irony, I realized that I had no purpose either. The deed of mankind was done, and rebirth has taken place. I have no reason to be here...

Misato: Then why? How? What are you doing here?

Tsubake: Calm down commander. You see, I have found a reason to exist. I had to, seeing as I was the only one of my kind that survived. My mission...is to perfect myself. I was near perfection when I attacked your base, you see. But still, I was defeated in battle. The results of that made me realize one thing: I was missing something. And after years of solitude and dormancy, I found what I was missing....

Misato: And what is that, Iruel?

Tsubake: Human sacrifice. I need LCL created from Human sacrifice.

Misato: oh my God....

Tsubake: I need a large amount of LCL to bear as gifts to my lord; I need to bear gifts in order to become the perfect being. And the only way to do that is to, in matter of speaking, 'infect' a human host, and kill them from the inside out. Seeing as my nano technology has airborne capabilities, it's rather simple to infect one organism. But I require a much larger amount of LCL in order to achieve my goal....

This man....no....'thing'.....wasn't kidding around. The UN was rarely given information coming from inside NERV headquarters, such as daily logs and Angel data. The only information they were ever told was 'what is attacking', and 'how to kill it'. Or in the current situation they were told how to capture it.

With that in mind, how could the general know what was occurring within the base that very day, he day that the 11th angel attacked? If memory served her right, all data from that day was deleted, including the dated entry from the log; this was to insure that the systems were safe from another possible infection. In other words, the day the 11th angel attacked virtually never 'existed'.

How...how was it possible for a man who had no resources, somehow know (in unusual detail) about what had happened that day?

Misato: Th-this doesn't make any sense....you can't possibly know about that attack....unless....

Tsubake raised his head a little, appearing to be interested in the conversation at last.

Tsubake: Unless?

Misato:...you're it. You're really the eleventh angel....

Tsubake: Iruel: the perfect one, as I stated. Did you really doubt me?

Misato: well....it is kind of hard to take you seriously...when you are in the body of an unstable man.

Tsubake: Oh, he is not instable. Ever since infection, all his actions were controlled by me and me alone. I needed someone....who could provide conflict. And out of all honesty, anyone on this pathetic planet would be suffice.

Misato still didn't understand; she can believe that this person before her was not Tsubake, but everything else was still shrouded in fog. Why someone who could provide conflict? What was the purpose for that?

And how much LCL did he need?

Tsubake: Listen here commander, I have given far more information then you could possibly need. You should be able to handle the rest on your own.

Misato nodded in understanding.

Misato: Thank you for cooperating.

Tsubake: You're welcome. Heh....it doesn't matter anyway, your kind will be destroyed one way or another...

Misato felt a spark of fury rise inside her body quickly.

Misato: What the Hell are you talking about?! Do you even see the situation you are in?! You will be completely functionless without your host...

Tsubake: Wrong again. Even if you kill this man, I can escape again and infect another being. Believe you me, I am far more superior than the common parasite....

Misato: Escape again?

Misato had hunch that he was referring to Geffen, the pilot who died of mysterious causes. It now made sense. Unit 05 disobeying orders, Tsubake attempting a nuclear attack. This being really was controlling their actions!

She quivered in anger and fear. These were two perfectly normal people who died just because they were the puppet of a micro monster; a monster that had to be stopped at all costs...

Misato: You bastard......rest assured...you will be destroyed when your time comes....

Tsubake jerked his head up suddenly, revealing a horrific sight. He was...leaking. And he wasn't leaking blood; no, it was that all so familiar orange liquid that have been appropriately dubbed LCL. It was dripping from his white pupil eyes, out of his hair (probably from the skull sutures that have been broken for some ghastly reason), and from the sides of his mouth and nostrils. His eyes had rolled up in their sockets, revealing only plain, white orbs; like the beings of the damned.

Tsubake: T-tell me Misato....how can you kill something....you can't even see?

Misato took a few steps back and covered her mouth in disgust. This was just too gross to handle...

Tsubake: How are you going to stop me commander? Have you're precious pilot swing its arms in the air in hopes of crushing me? HA! YOU ARE POWERLESS!

The general stood up out of his chair and staggered towards Misato, who in turn slowly reached for her pistol and aimed it at his head.

Misato: Stay back you...monster....

Tsubake: Monster?

Misato:.....

Tsubake: Yes......I guess I would be....

Misato:......

Tsubake:...See you around commander.

Tsubake then screamed a blood curtling shreik, as all the muscles in his body pulsated at once; tightening around the sharp wire. His skin began to bleed as the wires dug into the general's stressed body, yet he was not bleeding blood. Instead, his body bled LCL....just like his face...

Then his whole body began to shrink as huge jets of the substance busted out of his body and all over the floor. His body was becoming a puddle at this point; all Misato could do was hang back and the sight in pure, untainted horror.

She felt like hurling on the ground; Misato was used to Angels dying before her very eyes, but not something like this. She dropped her gun to the ground as the remaining parts of his body melted into LCL.

General Tsubake was now merely a puddle of LCL on the Earth....

All was quiet; not a single soldier in the whole tent said a word, let alone Misato, who was still in a horrific shock. It was not everyday that a man liquefied before your very own eyes. But just then, seemingly out of nowhere, a dark, smooth voice spoke out.

"Another blood sacrifice has been made, and my Lord is rejoices. Amen."

Misato could only guess that the voice was none other than Iruel. And by the sounds of it, this was not just an ordinary foe.....

Misato: He's right. How DO we stop an enemy we can't see?

* * *

Shinji still couldn't sleep. He had been awake for at least four hours now, and nothing was helping; he tried deep breaths, counting sheep, and other unorthodox methods for attempted sleep. It had to be this plug, there was no way anyone could sleep in here with that smell in the air; the smell of human blood. 

Well, there was one person who could sleep through this mess, that girl being the redhead German sleeping in HIS chair.

That's right, Shinji had reluctantly given up all rights of the chair to Asuka, who took it without conviction. All Shinji had for sleeping quarters was the small portion of space that existed behind the chair. It was fairly cramped and not too comfortable, but it was far better than sleeping in the freezing cold. Unlike some idiot who thought the cold air would do him some good.

Shinji (to himself): Maybe that's why I can't sleep: knowing the fact that Toji is out there freezing with only one type of cover. Why did we agree to let him sleep out there.....

Shinji made up his mind and grabbed his hooded jacket. The pod was warm enough without it, meaning that wearing this coat would just be pointless. Toji would be better off with it, seeing as he was the one who offered the pod to them in the first place.

Shinji carefully shuffled out of his spot and quietly opened the pod door. The last thing he wanted to face was the wrath of an angry Asuka, whose strength was comparable only to that of the Devil himself. The pod opened without error, allowing some brisk, night air to flow inside of it. Asuka began to shiver a little, prompting Shinji to move a little more swiftly out of the plug.

Shinji jumped out of the plug door and onto the earthen floor. He sighed in relief, seeing as he had once again made it quietly past Asuka without conflict. He took a few steps across the ground; it was as cold as the air around him, which had to be freezing to say the least. Toji was a fool to believe that he could stay out here.

Shinji clutched his jacket and walked over to the remains of the warm fire. The wind must have billowed it to nothing but ash. He thanked God that it wasn't daylight, or else their smoke could be seen a mile away. Shinji gazed over to where Toji had sat against the log.

He was still there, but he did look dreadfully cold. Shinji's fear was confirmed; he walked over to the shivering boy and placed his jacket over Toji's own coat. Within seconds, Toji stopped shivering violently as a smile of content grew across his face. He appeared to be in complete solace now, compared to the cold, cold world around him. Moments later, Toji was completely relaxed within his sleep.

Shinji smiled for his good deed and trekked back to the pod. He noticed that he left the door open, and wondered if Asuka was awake. If she was....it would cause some trouble for him. He gulped deeply and hoped that Asuka was a deep sleeper......

Then he spotted something in the corner of his eye; it was a bush rustling, as if it was shivering from the night's air as well. Someone...or something....was behind that bush, watching his every move (or so he thought). Shinji's weary mind told him to go over and identify the elusive stranger, while his heart told him to chicken out and head back to the pod.

Shinji listened to the latter of the two and immediately continued back to the plug. Maybe the possibly vengeful Asuka could take out her anger on whatever was in that bush....

He gently grabbed the side of the doorway and peeked inside in hopes that Asuka was still asleep. He spoke softly, almost in a whisper.

Shinji:..Asuka?

There was no answer. Shinji sighed in relief as he entered the plug; she was still sound asleep. In fact, she seemed more peaceful than ever; she didn't make a single sound.

Perhaps she was being too quiet.

Upon further inspection of the cockpit, he noticed that no one was occupying the chair. All that was there was a lone ruffled blanket that was tossed aside. Asuka had apparently awoken and was somewhere around here.

If so, where was she? Did she have to 'go' or something?

Shinji was perfectly convinced that that wasn't the case. The three of them had nothing decent to eat and drink for the last 24 hours. Plus, Asuka hated being cold, meaning that she would have taken the blanket with her....

A sinking feeling filled Shinji's body. Could she be....sleepwalking?

Shinji: Oh shit....

Shinji darted out the plug and back to where he had heard the alarming sound from the bush. It had to be Asuka no doubt, and she couldn't be far....

He scavenged behind the bush and found some footprints; female size footprints going deeper into the wooden area of the mountains. She had been here and was probably not too far away.

Shinji cut past the bush and sprinted through the leaves while keeping a close eye on the tracks below him. She was sleepwalking all right, he could tell by the staggering of the feet, like someone who had just woken from a nightly slumber. He had to find her before she got herself hurt....

Or worse....

Shinji: Please Asuka! Don't be too far away....

He half-expected her to pop out from behind a tree any second, but that moment never came. He just kept running deeper into the woods while a keeping his weary eyes on the fading footprints.

The ground was becoming more solid, in the part of the woods that received little rainfall. If he didn't find Asuka soon, he probably wouldn't find her at all....

And by the time he does, it may be too late.

Shinji's body filled with anxiety and fear as he stopped abruptly. He had been running into the woods for at least ten minutes, and now the tracks had stopped. She could be anywhere now, and chances are, he would probably never find her on his own. He didn't have his cell phone with him, and the Eva was too far away.

Shinji: I'm....too late.

Shinji collapsed to the ground as warm tears formed in his eyes. He was too late; Asuka was probably hurt and alone right now and he was helpless to assist her. It was not the first time in his life that he had let someone down, but it was the first time he had ever felt guilt like this. Knowing Shinji, the pain was unbearable....

Shinji: Asuka...sniff...where are you? Please.....please be all right.... I'm sorry that I couldn't-

He stopped his sobbing momentarily as a sound caught his attention. It was coming from the east; a soft rumbling sound. Like thousands of gallons of LCL collapsing to the Earth...

It was a waterfall.

With new hope ignited, Shinji lifted himself up off the dirt and darted towards the targeted noise. It had to be less than 100 meters away, and closing in. After a few moments, he arrived to a steep cliff, with a white river about 50 feet down. And sure enough, there was the waterfall; cascading downward into the already chaotic river. If a person where to fall down in there, they would most certainly be torn limb from limb before drowning to death....

Shinji turned his head to the left and squinted his eyes as he spotted a human-like figure a short distance way; she was obviously female, had long red hair, and appeared to have her eyes closed.

It was Asuka all right, completely peaceful in her sleep....and standing just at the edge of the cliff.

Shinji: ASUKA! DON'T!

He panicked and instantly darted toward the incoming figure with outstretched hands. She was teetering on the very edge of the cliff, and the slipperiness of the rocks might get the better of her bare feet....

Sure enough, the watery surface caused Asuka's unconscious body to slip and plummet towards the thrashing water below. Shinji eyes widened as a made a huge leap towards the edge of the cliff; this was his last chance to save her....and if he failed.....

Shinji: God help me!

Shinji 's body flung off the side of the cliff and towards the raging river below. Asuka was less than five feet below him, and he was closing in fast. He desperately pushed himself forward by extending his hands towards Asuka's limp ones. Within milliseconds he could feel the soft touch of her fingers grazing against the side of his.

He caught Asuka by the hand and pulled her towards his body. Her hair fluttered in the breeze as the two of them plummeted to certain doom...

But he didn't care anymore; just the thought of having her close to him was enough to ease his troubled mind.

He extended his right hand into the air, as if by instinct.

His newly focused mind somehow told him to reach for the sky, as if he could grab the threshold of Heaven and pull himself up. For some reason, he felt as if...everything is going to be all right. He didn't know if he would keep on falling, or if a miracle would reach out and save him; and personally, he didn't care...

He knew that everything was all right....now that Asuka was back in his arms.

Shinji closed his eyes and continued to reach for the sky. Maybe Heaven WILL find a way to save them....

Shinji and Asuka shook up and down violently for a brief second. It felt as thought they had reached the strong currents, but it soon stopped after that small moment.

In fact, they appeared to not be moving at all; all was quiet and still while Asuka and Shinji hovered in the air. The sound of the rushing water could still be heard below, and the cold air wisped across Shinji's face.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked at the very thing that saved them. It was branch; a long branch growing off the side of an almost infertile cliff side had saved the lives of two young people. It reminded Shinji of the olive branch that was brought back to Noah, symbolizing a newfound hope for mankind.

At this very moment, that's what it felt like.

Shinji breathed deeply and relaxed for a second. He could easily scale this cliff, but first he needed to collect himself.

Shinji: thank God....thank God.....

* * *

Asuka's eyes opened slowly. 

She could feel the night breeze drifting down from the mountains and across her body. She could feel her dress sway in the wind, and she could hear the sounds of wildlife and water thrashing. Indeed, this was most definitely some type of valley. But the real question was...why was she here? The last time she checked, she had fallen asleep inside of the plug.....

Asuka sat up abruptly and scanned the area. She was in some kind of a dense forest area, with no sign of civilization around. Not to mention that the camp was nowhere in sight as well. They must have somehow trekked deeper into the woods...though there was no sign of the two boys....

A shuffling noise nearby startled her; it was a figure of a man. She squinted her eyes to try and make out who it was...

Brown hair....white shirt....It was Shinji all right. He appeared to be fast asleep against the tree next to her, completely drained out over God knows what.

Asuka smiled in the relief that someone was with her, but she still didn't understand why they were here...

Asuka grabbed a tiny pebble and flicked it against the side of his skull.

Shinji:....ow....hey, that h-....ASUKA!

Asuka giggled a little; it was always fun to pick on Shinji. When it's harmless fun anyway...

Asuka: Hello Baka Shinji....sleep well?

Shinji: ow...I did until I had a rock thrown against me. Are you okay?

Asuka looked at Shinji as if he had received a unsuccessful lobotomy.

Asuka: Yeah....of course I'm all right...why wouldn't I be?

It was now Shinji's turn to be surprise, thought he really shouldn't be. It was common for sleepwalkers to be unaware of their nighttime antics, just like how people forget their own dreams.

Shinji: You mean you don't remember?

Asuka: Remember what?

Shinji: Do you even know why we're here?

Asuka was getting irritated with all the questions being asked, and absolutely no answers in return. She sat up against the tree and looked at Shinji with annoyance.

Asuka: NO! Just tell me what the heck is going on!.....sigh....baka.....

Shinji:...oh! Sorry....

Asuka calmed down a bit and laid back against the tree. She wasn't in the mood to argue anymore; she was still very tired.

Asuka: It's all right Shinji, just....tell me what's going on....

Shinji relaxed against his tree as well; he was more tired than Asuka was.

Shinji: All right...I'll tell you...

Shinji contemplated his words carefully as he told Asuka what happened in the past couple of hours. How he gave Toji his jacket, when he heard the noises in the bush, Asuka disappearing into the forest, Her sleepwalking, all of it. And then he told her how they ended up here....

Asuka: WHAT?! YOU MEAN WE'RE LOST?!

Asuka no doubt knew that she had a sleepwalking problem, and she was secretly grateful for Shinji's help. But being grateful wasn't really going to help them out with their current situation.

Shinji gave Asuka a feeble smile and tried his best to calm her down.

Shinji: heh.....yeah....I have no idea where the camp is, both don't worry! Toji's still there; he knows that Rei can find anybody, and he'll find us in no time!

Asuka concurred with Shinji. She had no doubt that Toji would find them, but there was just one tiny detail he forgot to mention...

Asuka: Yeah, he'll find us....once he wakes up that is...

Shinji: oh crap! That's right....he has to be awake in order to find us....

Asuka: well, duh Shinji! So what do we do then?

Shinji sunk against the side of the tree trunk and began to mope.

Shinji: I guess we wait it out, and hope he comes as soon as possible.

Asuka was going to retort sarcastically, but she really didn't have any better ideas. Wandering around would only tire them out even more....

Asuka: sigh....I guess so....

With that said, Shinji nodded in approval and turned his back to Asuka, curling up in order to contain some of his precious body heat. The night was getting colder now; seeing as they were approaching the early morning hours. And Shinji didn't have his jacket on hand....

Shinji (to himself): s-shit....why didn't I just keep it?! Now I'M the one freezing to death...

Shinji curled up even tighter and closed his eyes tightly. He hoped that sleep would take him soon, so that he could forget about the coldness of the night air. That usually helped on the nights back at the apartment, where he only had a few layers on hand.

Asuka played it smart; she brought along a nice, warm jacket. She was wearing her dress mind you, so a jacket was the only thing necessary to keep her warm.

They originally thought that the plug would began to cool down as the night went on, so she never did remove it; even when she had that blanket on hand.

Shinji (to himself): Man...the things I do to help out friends. I bet I'm being tested by a higher power! That has to be it! That explains why bad things always happen to me when I try to set them straight! Oh man....I'm so miserable....

Shinji was too busy mind ranting to notice that the he was becoming warmer and warmer. He instantly stopped himself and focused on the source of the heat. It certainly wasn't his body heat, nor was it his light clothing....

There was only one explanation.

Shinji looked down at his waist to find a pair of arms wrapped around him. He felt warm breaths on the back of his neck. While turning around, he noticed a tangle of long red hair draping across his soldier. It didn't take him long before he realized who it was.

Shinji (blushing): A-Auska Wha-?

Asuka (softly): shh....please be a little quieter Shinji. It's such a lovely night out.....

Shinji relaxed a little as Asuka contently hugged him; she didn't speak a word, just continued hugging and breathing softly against his back. If Shinji could see her face, he would guess that she was looking very happy right now...

Shinji (whispering): Asuka....what are you doing?

Asuka: You look like you needed some warming up. Heh...that jacket would be nice now wouldn't it.?

Shinji (gloomily): aw man....don't remind me.....

Asuka giggled a little and tightened her grip around the boy.

Asuka: Hee hee....that's ok. I like it better this way anyway.

Shinji squirmed a little in her grip, attempting to get in a comfortable position. Asuka responded by flipping the boy gently, having his eyes facing hers. She once again wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer to her warmth. Shinji blushed once again, cursing himself for not being able to get used to that. He had been around the girl for so long now, and he still blushed whenever he looked into her beautiful eyes.

Asuka: sigh...that's better....

Shinji: Asuka, why?

Shinji still seemed to worried by something, though Asuka couldn't exactly figure out what. Was he still uncomfortable with type of relationship? If so, then Asuka had to fix that....

Asuka: Because.....you didn't forget about me. You came back for me after all these years and made me remember the precious things that I have given up. And because you did, I was able to recover those memories and live again....

Shinji:...Asuka....

She must have been talking about why Shinji hijacked the Eva in the first place. After spending some time around her and Toji, He had completely forgotten the real reason why he still had the Eva. It was....her. His only reason for anything now....

Asuka: Shinji, why did you come back for me? I love that you did, but why?

Shinji:....I suppose it's because I always thought about you. And I thought I knew why I did, but I had to make sure. The only way to know for was......to come back for you.....

Asuka remained still as Shinji returned the warm embrace by wrapping his arms underneath hers. Soon, they could feel the soft touch of sleep overtaking them both. It was an elixir to the soul...

Asuka remained awake for a few minutes, determined to recover some of her lost sleep. Shinji, on the other hand, still had some concerns he wanted to ask her. Things that would determine the fate of their inevitable relationship.

Asuka nuzzled against the side of Shinji's shoulder and closed her eyes softly. Shinji's eyes moved down to her face and saw that she was still smiling. Why was she smiling like that? Did the fact that they were vulnerable out here in the wilderness bother her at all?

Asuka always remained a mystery to the poor boy. After the incident involving Third Impact, he became a good judge on what people were thinking. But Asuka, the girl he had admired and loved from afar, was still a complete mystery to him. He could never, on his own, figure out what she was thinking.

There was only one way to figure out Asuka; and that was asking her how she felt.

Shinji:...Asuka?

Asuka shifted a bit and opened one eye, gazing at the boy sleepily.

Asuka (drowsily): umm....yeah Shinji?

Shinji: What was that precious thing that you were missing? Was it....Unit 02? Was it the fact that you were a pilot?

Asuka blinked a couple of times; Shinji still hadn't figured it out yet. It should have been obvious to him, but then again, he was a guy after all...

Asuka chuckled a little and smiled lovingly back at Shinji, both or her eyes were open now.

Asuka: No baka...being an Eva pilot wasn't going to last forever. So it can't really be called a precious thing. However, there is something that is precious to me, and I got it back not to long ago....

Shinji:...Really? What is that?

Asuka stared Shinji straight in the eyes and moved closer to his face. Shinji noticed that her eyes were getting glassier, and an unforeseen feeling was beginning to emerge from deep inside her soul.

Shinji was taken aback once again as Asuka's moist lips grazed against his own; Her lips stayed there, waiting for Shinji to respond and return the kiss back to her; after a few moments Shinji reflected the warm kiss back to Asuka, which solidified the bound between them right now.

Asuka withdrew a few seconds later and gazed into Shinji's eyes once again. It was at this moment that Shinji could see right into Asuka's very own soul. All her feelings, emotions, and thoughts spilled out and flowed straight into Shinji's own pupils.

He knew everything he needed to know now. Everything involving their relationship.

Asuka broke the momentary silence with the reply she never gave. Her most precious thing was most obviously...

Asuka: you. You are the one I found again; and I want it to stay that way forever....

Shinji's smile widened and tears of joy formed in his eyes. Asuka smiled back and closed her eyes softly. Shinji held her tightly, listening to the soft sounds of her breathing as the brisk night air ceased to bother them. Her breathing was more steady now; and the silence remained.

Asuka was finally asleep.

Shinji closed his own eyes and hoped that the spirit that enchanted her to sleep would do so to him as well.

He felt the soft harmonic breathing of Asuka against him; it was a rhythm that sung him softly to sleep. Soon, all the troubles in Shinji's world, disappeared into the intimacy of this lovely night....

Shinji: Asuka....I love you......

* * *

End of Chapter 11 

aww...how sweet....they fell in love -. (about damn time....)

Forgive me if this chapter appears weak. I haven't written Evangelion in some time..

Anyway, my writing format is going to change slightly for the next chapters. They will done in a more novel style fashion then in the typical script style I do. I think that it is the best way of supporting my ideas, and it builds up the plot better. So fair warning! There is a slight change...

I have no idea when the next chappie will be up (next two weeks at most), so please bear with me!

please keep reviewing as well! You guys have been really understandng and supportive in your reviews and I truly appreciate that. So please...keep it up!

:so tell next time, take it easy everyone!


	12. We're Going Home

Disclaimer: Don't own Eva....never will...unless i recieve some sort of unexpected inheritance.....nah....

Hey everyone! Late update, sorry! but this time, it's not my fault. This would have been up days ago if it weren't for the site updates. Oh well...the new quickedit looks awesome. Anyway, this chapter has a slightly different format, as promised. the only difference really is the way conversations and thoughts are displayed:

" is for talking, and ' is for thinking. Used quite a lot, but fairly effective. please tell me if this new format does the story any justice. Well with that said, here ya guys go!

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 12: We're going home…. 

"Wake up Suzahara."

Toji's long, deep sleep was disturbed by the sound of an ominously beautiful voice. He had no idea who this mysterious stranger is, nor did he really care. All he wanted right now was to get some more sleep; it seemed too early to wake up anyway.

Toji grabbed hold of the jacket and covered it over his eyes. The sun was rising and getting into his eyes. It was still cold out, and he was thankful to have his jacket on hand. Lord knows that he would have frozen to death otherwise. He smiled contently and slowly started to drift back to sleep….

"Suzahara, you must wake up this instant!"

Toji cringed at the sound of the noise disturbing him once again, but he didn't care. He just simply ignored her and flung his jacket over his head some more and closed his eyes tightly. Hopefully, the voice would go away…

"Suzahara!"

Toji couldn't stand it any longer. She was certainly relentless, and probably wouldn't stop until he gave this enigma his full attention. He flung his jacket off and looked in the direction it was coming from, his eyes filled with anger and irritation.

"What is it you stupid- AHHHH!!!!"

Toji stood up and backed up as quickly as he could. Unfortunately for him, there was a log right behind his feet, causing him to instantly fall on his lower posterior. But that didn't bother him too much; he was more worried about the Eva looking straight at him with those orange glowing eyes.

" W-what the fuck is going on?!? Are you trying to scare me to death Shinji?"

Toji voice was shaking from having been frightened half to death. He was sure that this was some practical joke made by the two of his comrades. That was probably Asuka making voices at him, and Shinji controlling the Eva to correspond with the voice. Those cheap bastards.

But then something caught Toji's eye. The Eva was still in the same spot, as well as the plug. And didn't the operator normally need to be inside of the plug in order to control the Evangelion? And if the Eva didn't have a plug inside of it….then who the hell is controlling it?!

Toji turned his slowly back at the Evangelion, his teeth cringing in terror. He stuttered out the only words he could think of at the time.

"Wh-who…are….you?" Toji stood up slowly and stayed backed against the tree defensively.

The Eva stood up slowly as well, but towered over Toji like a spider to a fly. The sun was completely blocked out by the behemoth, making its bright orange eyes glow more intense. Toji couldn't turn away from this daunting beast; it would most likely crush him to pieces if he turned away for one second…..

Then to Toji's surprise, that feminine voice spoke out again.

"Rei Ayanami. Designated pilot of Evangelion unit 00."

Toji was taken aback. This had to be some kind of clever, twisted joke; it just HAD to be. There was no way that Rei Ayanami still existed. She died a long time ago…..

But Shinji had told him directly and seriously that she was still alive, and was fully capable of phenomenal powers. Toji appeared to have accepted that fact last night, but if that was the case then why is he so surprised right now?

This was one of those things he had to see in order to believe.

"Re-Rei?" was all that Toji could stutter out at the moment, although the stammering had become a frequent thing given the current (and mind-blowing) situation.

"Yes. And you must be Toji Suzahara, former pilot of Evangelion unit 03. It is a pleasure to meet you again."

The stuttering and stammering stopped as Toji stared at the Evangelion. His face held an expression of complete bewilderment, and sheer fear. He wasn't going to be the one to carry this conversation anywhere.

Rei, on the other hand, grew impatient of the sudden silence and decided to be the one to speak up.

" Listen up Suzahara," Toji shuddered a bit from the sound of voice." I need you to come with me. Pilot Ikari and Pilot Sorhyu have disappeared somewhere, and they may have encountered some trouble."

Toji didn't answer. In fact, it seemed that he didn't hear a word she said.

" I need you to take temporary command of Unit 01 in the event that we run into an ambush; whilst I search for the two pilots. Agreed?"

PLOP.

Toji had completely passed out. He could handle watching 100 foot Eva's fighting equally towering Angels, but he couldn't handle the site of an Evangelion possessed by a girl from his class. It was all just too much for him.

The Eva stood up to its feet and looked down at the poor boy.

"Maybe I shouldn't have been so direct with him…."

* * *

Setting: NERV Headquarters. Early morning hours. 

"Commander, here is the information you requested."

Misato openly accepted the envelope and opened it up. This information was supposed to contain all the data they could muster on the event involving Iruel. Maybe they can find a clue on how to stop this thing.

"Is all this information you could find?" It didn't looklike a lot; all they got was the hourly log of what happened that day, as well as some video footage.

The personnel nodded. "Yes commander. It was hard enough to extract the log; we had to be very careful to avoid possible infection from the Angel."

" Yes, the Angel could have left some unwelcome surprises in the logs before we deleted them. It could have infected the backup as well." Misato carefully scanned the contents of the envelope thoroughly.

The personnel stood still, as if waiting for an answer to an unasked question.

"If I my ask commander, why are you so calm about this? We have an national….no…make that INTERNATIONAL emergency on our hands."

Misato tossed the envelope aside and picked up the tape. There was nothing relatively important inside of the log….just a report of where and when it attacked. Nothing on HOW it attacked.

" Because, believe it or not, we have the upper hand. We have more time to analyzeour enemy now."

"I understand that commander, but what about its abilities? It could have infected anyone of us right now…."

Misato was waiting for that question to pop up. Sadly, she had few answers.

"Good question. You see, Iruel told me about 'ritual sacrifice' when I spoke with him. I assume that it meant it hadwith killingspecific people at specific times. If that is the case, then all we have to do is to get a fullunderstandingabout this ritual; down to the basic dogma. Piece of cake."

The personnel smiled and loosened up a bit. He felt a little more eased now.

" I see..but still…..how do we know who's who?

This was a difficult question, and Misato didn't really have a easy answer. She only had one idea on how to detect infection….

" Well, we can safely assume that this angel is like a parasite right? Then how about we do standardized blood tests daily, to check for serious blood abnormalities. If a personnel refuses, then they shall be imprisoned until further notice."

The personnel nodded as Misato continued speaking.

" It may not be the most definite way to indicate infection, but we have no other options available. Besides, the angel could have infected ANYONE in the whole country for all we know. We don't want to take too many unnecessary precautions."

The young personnel's face filled with anxiety once again, "so you're saying that…..we just wait for an attack? Just sit here and wait for…it…to make its move?"

Misato nodded promptly," precisely. We have no other choice right now."

Misato winced slightly from her own words. If they just sat here and waited it out, they would be nothing more than sitting ducks. Was there really nothing else they could do?

No. There had to be another way. If they just waited, Iruel would have enough time to strategize as well. That would give him the primary advantage, and would inevitably result in disaster. They had to do more than search the books for information on a ritual sacrifice that, for all they knew, didn't exist in any text. They may never find that information needed to give them the upper hand.

They needed a solid plan; something that could undeniably detect and destroy the angel…..

Then it clicked.

" …Eva…."

The personnel looked over at Misato curiously; she seemed rather random all the sudden.

" I beg your pardon commander?"

Misato was slow to respond. Instead she swiftly made her way out of her office and down the hallway; the personnel following closely behind.

"commander, what about the Eva?"

" Do we still have radar capabilities? Ones that could reach inside of the mountains?" Misato turned the corner sharply and approached the elevator door.

" Yes we do. wh-"

That's when it hit him as well.

"commander, you don't intend on using the EVA to fight that thing do you?!?"

"that is exactly what I plan to do. Now tell me, can we detect the unit if it is still there?"

"Of course we can; we could have done it from the very start. But what good would that do?"

The elevator doors opened, and Misato stepped in; the young man still following her like a lost puppy.

"….I'm going to ask Shinji to come back."

Now the personnel knew she was crazy. Did she really expect him to come back if she asked him nicely?

" Pardon me for saying so commander, but that's ludicrous."

Misato smiled a little and laughed a little.

" heh…I knew you were going to say that. Don't worry, Shinji will come back if he knows that no one wants to hurt him. In other words......we'll surrender."

The personnel was still unconvinced.

"But…."

" You worry too much," Misato had to shut him up, or else she was never going to here the end of his whining," Get the radar operational and a radio system ready for use. I'm going to try and contact him through radio."

The elevator stopped abruptly; they had reached the bottom floor of NERV headquarters. The doors opened up and revealed the central control room for all NERV operations (aptly named Central Dogma.). Misato stepped off the elevator and took a seat in one of the few chairs surrounding the central controls.

"Do you really think you can reach him through radio waves commander?"

" I'm not sure. But we won't know unless we try," Misato typed in a sequence of buttons and opened up several files; all of which were information about various cults, religions, and their rituals. "We haveno other options left to us except him. Unless you would rather wait it out as originally planned...."

The personnel sighed in defeat. He didn't any other choice but to comply; they had nothing to lose anyway.

"sigh……Understood Commander"

Misato turned around and smiled," Cheer up. We have nothing more to do than to put our faith in Shinji."

The personnel nodded and took his seat in the chair on the other side of the access panels. He typed in a series of codes that should allow operation of the radar.

'I still have my doubts. What if he doesn't want to help?'

The worried young man merely shrugged it off and went back to work. He shouldn't think about things like this right now.

'I just have to keep faith…that's all'

* * *

He could hear noises outside. The sounding of water rushing along the earthen coast; the soft chirping of the birds perched on the grass; and the quiet hum of locusts among the tree trunks. 

It was clear that Shinji was nowhere near civilization in the least. He opened his eyes slowly and immediately shielded them with his forearm; it was too damn bright out.. He squinted slightly and attempted to adapt his eyes to this unfamiliar brightness.

It must be noon, seeing as the sun was slightly overhead. Shinji didn't know how long he had been here in this forest. He could have only guessed that he had somehow exhausted himself enough to doze off into the early afternoon. What the hell did he do last night anyway?

He just sat against the side of tree like a large rock; unmoving and staring at his deep breaths intently. The air was still very brisk and crisp, meaning that it was a typical late fall afternoon. He loved the way the air felt in the afternoon, especially on those bright fall days like this. He would walk around and just enjoy the smell of air while the large star would radiate as much heat as it possibly could. He could sometimes feel that warmth in the small town he usedworked in…..

But not in the city. Tokyo-2 was always soaked with its own tears; day in and day out. The clouds overcastted the poor city everyday, acting as a barrier to the warm goodness that the sun provided. Meaning that everyday and every night was cold, gloomy, and depressing. You could almost say that the city was slightly touched by Hell; the Hell that was once described by Dante as being a cold, frozen lake, with Satan in the center of the Earth. Tokyo-2 felt like that frozen lake….all the time…..

Still…it was not always so cold for everyone. There were some things in life, even in a world ran by pain, which were always wonderful to look forward to; things that provided 'warmth' within even the darkest shadows of freezing wastelands.

"I feel…..warm…."

It had just occurred to Shinji that he was not freezing like the fresh, cold air around him. In fact, he was actually quite tepidand comfortable for some reason.

That didn't make much sense; then again, nothing made much sense right now, seeing as he had somehow forgotten the past night's events. Shinji looked around and noticed something peculiar lying across his abdomen.

It seemed to made up of a dark blue fabric; the kind you would normally find used in jackets and coats. The fabric was spread across his entire chest region, like a small blanket covering him up. This was most certainly did not belong to Shinji, so whoever gave him this magnificent source of heat must be nearby somewhere….

Shinji felt a soft grip tightening around his belly, and behind the back. He was not aware of this embrace before, seeing as it was so light and barely touched him at all. It was almost like it was part of him. But the grips suddenstrength startled Shinji and almost caused him to jump straight out of his spot. He only made it up a fewmillimeters off the ground when something caught his eye underneath the blanket.

Curious, Shinji flipped the blanket off of him and winced.

"Asuka?"

Shinji was only mildly surprised by this, seeing as this was not the first time this happened. He took a sigh of relief knowing what the source of the embrace was, and soon the memories of last night's memories began to came back to him at full force.

'oh…that's right. Asuka was sleepwalking again. Yeah…..then she dove off that cliff and....I saved her..…..but….what happened next?'

Shinji shut his eyes and tried, as hard as he could, to scavenge what was left of his forgotten memory.

….there was a branch that held them aloft…..the sound of his hands clutching the dirt walls of the canyon cliff…..the painof yet another annoying Asuka rant….the soft warm sensationdriven by a kiss….

At that moment, Shinji gaspedas the sound of his words began to echo softly from the back of his mind and out of his lips.

"….I love you…"

Shinji grimaced from the sound of his words. He couldn't believe that he told Asuka, the object of his undying affection, the way he truly felt about her in those three simple yet meaningful words. Did he really have the courage to do such a thing? Did Shinji, the submissive boy who grew to be an assertive (yet slightly submissive) man, really confess something so deep and meaningful willingly?

…..Of course not. He was probably too weary to even care what he was saying at the time. Plus, Asuka must have fell asleep when he told her. In other words, that part of the conversation never happened between them.

'She must've not heard me. Yet still…..would I prefer it if she did?'

Shinji grabbed onto Asuka's shoulders gently and lifted her off his chest. He shifted away from the tree and placed Asuka back against the side of it. She shuffled slightly in her sleep, but she still remained in slumber land.

Shinji stood up and stretched. He felt rested enough for another day, regardless of what happened last night. Today, they would attempt to find out more about their enemy through Rei; the one and only objective for the time being.

The problem was, Shinji had no idea where the hell they were at still. All he could guess was that they were still somewhere deep in the forest, far from the camp and the Evangelion (not to mention the phone. meaning that contact with Rei was out of reach.). So he really had no idea of where to go from here. Probably just wait, and hope that Toji would find out about the Eva's little secret.

But in the meantime, Shinji desperately needed to bathe. Or wash his face in the very least. He could hearthe sound of a creek coming from the right of him; and it didn't sound too far away.

Shinji looked back at Asuka, making sure that she has not woken up after Shinji stirred himself off the ground. She was still sound asleep, content with the warm jacket over her body. Shinji really hated to leave her alone here, but he really needed to clean up.

'Who knows how long we'll be able to go back to civilization…' With that logic in mind, Shinji forced himself to move from the spot and headed towards the sound of the crystalline creek. But the minute Shinji had disappeared behind the bushes, someone else was beginning to come to as well…

"umm…..Shinji?"

Asuka opened her eyes and looked to make sure that Shinji was out of sight. He was gone; the truth of matter being that she saw everything that Shinji did. She was awake ever since Shinji had woken up.

Asuka rested her back against the side of the tree and looked up at the sky through the orange autumn leaves.

" He said he….loved me…." Asuka's mind began to wander with confusion and disbelief." Why? Why does he love me? What have I done to make him happy.?"

It was true that Asuka was completely outdone by Shinji when it came to happiness. He would always do things to her that would make him happy, like cleaning, cooking; heck, his very presence just made her happy…

Is that all it took to make him happy? Just her being there for him?

If that is what love was, then Asuka must've found it at long last. The love she had been craving for the years since her mother had died.

Love is support and understanding, with just a pinch of passion in-between.

Asuka smiled a little and tilted her head to side. She didn't Shinji to see her blushing if he should ever come back any second.

'he said that he loves…me…'

Asuka knew what she had to do know; for the while when she thought that there was no way it could work out between them, it was the polar opposite that was true. Just being there for each other was enough to make the both of them content with their lives.

And if that really was true, then they would be the perfect match for each other.

Asuka lifted herself off the ground and put the jacket over her body. It was still pretty cold out, but now they could at least bear the temperatures a little bit better.

…Shinji was probably freezing right now….

Asuka zipped up the blue jacket and started walking the down the apparent path that Shinji took.

* * *

Shinji couldn't believe how good the water felt, even in this temperature. He was right when he said that it was crystal clear, but he had never expected it to be this clean. And sure enough, the water washed away all the mud anddebris that came onto his face (the dirt from the canyon walls being the hardest to get off, seeing as it solidifiedalmost instantly). 

Now that he was a little cleaner (and feeling good about it), Shinji took the end of his white shirt and wiped away the evaporating water from his face. Maybe he should tell Asuka about this creek; she must dead tired of being so filthy…

"There you are Baka!"

Shinji turned around abruptly and spotted Asuka standing underneath one of the trees. She was wide-awake and smiling at him.

"I was wondering where you went to. Why'd you leave me all alone?!"

Shinjikept his guard upto avoid Asuka's latest rant, but remained cool nonetheless.

"Sorry Asuka, I just had to wash my face that's all."

"What do you mean that's all? you left alone in that cold dark forest so that you can wash your dirty face!"

" Aren't you kind of exaggerating?" Shinji sighed with exasperation," it is the middle of the day after all…"

Asuka walked over to Shinji with her hands promptly placed on her hips, "I don't think so baka. you know that its not nice to leave a lady all by herself."

"well then if you see a lady, tell me…." Shinji whispered.

"What was that?" Asuka asked suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing! Just mumbling how sorry I am…." Shinji was quick to recover, though that probably wouldn't fool her.

Asuka simply shook her head and smiled back at him," You never did change that much did you Shinji? I asked you to stop apologizing all the time, and yet you're still at it."

"Likewise for you Asuka," Shinji retorted.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Asuka asked curiously.

"Well, you're still nagging at me all the time," Shinji rubbed the back of neck," and you still call me baka. Seems you haven't changed that much either."

Asuka was a little irritated," Hey! I only call you baka because it's….a pet name! You don't seeme calling anyone else that…"

"…..I'm a pet?" Shinji replied stupidly.

Asuka's eyes just stared at Shinji in bewilderment," I don't mean literally Baka! You usually give someone a pet name when you really care about that person!"

Asuka just realized what she just said and immediately gasped. Her face glowed bright red.

Shinji's face also grew very red as all sorts of thoughts entered his mind.

They both just kind of fell silent for a moment; the only sounds they could herewas the soft rumble of the creek. Thetwo of themjust stared at one another intently, there eyes widening as they did so.

"….Asuka…."

Asuka recoiled from the sound of her name being called," yes Shinji?"

"…..does that mean that….you cared for me this whole time; even before third impact?"

Asuka knew what the answer was. She had been calling Shinji baka for a long long time, and her feelings for him really did began a short while after they moved in with Misato. She couldn't let him know her feelings though, because of her pride as a pilot. As a result, here caring for Shinji was sealed away forever into the depths of soul…

But after six long years, those emotions finally broke free, and it was all thanks to Shinji.

Asuka took a deep breath," yes baka, I do care for you. Ever since that day we spent training together, I have grown to liking you…."

Shinji gasped a little as his eyes grew brightly back at Asuka.

Asuka continued speaking," the problem was that I never could tell you…because of my career. I always thougt that being an Eva pilot came first in life, but I was horribly wrong. As a consequence, I eventually stopped feeling that love for you; since that feeling was gone, I assumed that meant I…hated you. Hated you because you were a better pilot than me…"

Shinji was still in surprise from her confession. Never, in a million years, did he expect Asuka to love him for so long. He knew that something happened between them on that night when he followed her to Tokyo-2; but he never expected to find out that those feelings had already been developed long ago.

She loved him before he knew it.

"You see Shinji? Ever since you came back, I didn't feel so threatened anymore; my pride no longer controls me. My deadly sin….is gone. Ever since you came back, things have been better."

Asuka took a couple of steps towards Shinji and opened her arms for yet another embrace.

"Thank you Shinji."

Shinji willingly accepted the embrace and held Auska tightly. Words could not expressthe joy that he was feeling right now.

'is this…..real?'

It was real all right, he could feel it in his heart. Shinji had been dreaming of this day for the past seven years, and now…it was finally here. The day that Shinji and Asuka were finally a team.

"It must be the end of the world," Shinji whispered quietly into her ear.

Asuka giggled slightly," why do you say that?'

"Because I never expected us to be this close, ever," Shinji replied quietly.

"….What other proof do you need? We kissed 3 times for the love of God!" Asuka teased.

Shinji loosened his grip a bit and retorted," hey, one of those times doesn't really count ok? I didn't even get a chance to enjoy it."

Asuka knew he was referring to their infamous 'choking kiss'., and it was obvious that Shinji didn't enjoy a single moment of that kiss.

It was time for a little repentance.

" Well then Shinji, let's really make it three."

Asuka went in for the kill as her head tilted towards Shinji. Shinji awkwardly repeated Asuka and moved his face towards heras well. Within the last few seconds, there faces were merely fractions of a millimeter away from each other, on the verge of touching.

Then the rumble came.

It was a sudden tremor that could be felt from miles away. The birds in the trees and on the ground flew off in distress. Shinji immediately moved his head away from Asuka and looked around in the sky urgently.

"What the hell was that?!" Asuka yelled.

Shinji simply looked all around and waited for the expected. He really did know what to expect, after all.

"About time."

Before they knew what them, a giant, purple figure crashed landed onto the ground just a few hundred feet away. They could feel the impactvibrate all the way up to their skulls. The purple blur then rose out of the splintered trees, revealing the form of Evangelion unit 01.

Shinji and Asuka sighed in relief to discover that they had finally been rescued. Then the Eva's soft, voluptuous voice rang out.

"Here there are Suzahara."

The Evangelion stretched out its hand and offered the two lost passengers a lift upward.

"Hey guys! You wandered out pretty far last night; took me a while to finally find you!" Toji sounded slightly irritated by the whole thing, but he also seemed excited to be piloting the Evangelion for a change (it took some time though. he had passed out for a whole 30 minutes after all, and wasn't keen about piloting at first.)

"Hey Toj-" Shinji stopped in mid-sentence as Asuka took a couple of steps toward the Eva.

"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG, YOU MORON?!" Asuka shouted at full voice.

Toji was expecting a little gratitude for rescuing them, but he should have known better with Asuka. "HEY! I DIDN'T SEE YOU RUNNING AROUND AND LOOKING FOR US!" He shouted back in retort.

"Suzahara, they had no choice. If they moved and looked for us, they would undoubtedly encounter trouble. It was best that they stayed put." The Eva replied in a nonchalant manner.

Inside the plug, Toji just crossed his arms and spoke quietly, "oh, so you're going to take the Red Devil's side then…"

All became quiet then. Asuka twitched a little from that name, but she didn't speak a single word. Instead, she reached over for Shinji's hand and grabbed onto it. To Shinji, it felt like his hand was strapped in a vice and held there tightly

"Lets go Shinji…"Asuka whispered as she pulled Shinji towards the Eva's extended hand.

"O-okay…..ow…" Shinji cringed in pain as Asuka's vice grip hand relentlessly refused to let go. Nonetheless, he willingly followed Asuka to the giant metallic hand and the two of them stepped aboard it. The hand elevated into the air and stopped just a foot over the entryway for the plug. The plug itself ejected slightly, revealing the steaming hot doorway that lead to the cockpit.

The door cranked opened, as gallons upon gallons of LCL poured out. The contents of the plug dripped down the unit and onto the ground below. Toji peeped his head out (careful to avoid Asuka)of the doorway, seeing as the plug had finally emptied itself.

He grinned smugly at Unit 01's true pilot, "It's your turn now Shinji."

Shinji smiled slightly, though his hand was still in pain from Asuka's grip. She immediately let go though as she darted towards Toji and gave him a quick punch across the face. Toji was unable to react to her super quick punch, and flew backwards into the pod.

"Never…call me Red Devil…ever again.." Asuka clutched onto her fist and began breathing heavily.

Toji just looked at Asuka with horror and gulped,"y-y-eah….okay…."

Shinji came up from behind Asuka carefully and grabbed onto her shoulders, "Asuka, please relax.," He spoke with mild hesitance.

Asuka slowed her breathing down and relaxed her body slightly.

Shinji smiled, "thank you Asuka. I'm sure he didn't mean it…" The two of them entered the pod, and Shinji took his place at the pilot's chair. Asuka sat behind him, but often gave some foreboding glares to Toji hiding in the corner.

The doors shut as the plug was once again placed inside of the Evangelion. The whole pod filled with the familiar orange liquid, and Shinji took his position at the controls. Thewholecompartmentwas cramped once again with all three pilots.

Shinji pressed a few buttons and steadily held onto the controls, "all right. So what do we do n-"

"Ikari, you have an incoming message."

Shinji stopped all of the sudden and looked at the holo-screen. His face was a mixture of both utter joy and slight fear.

"M-Misato…"

* * *

"Did we get through? We did! Shinji! Hi!" Misato shouted gleefully. She was happy to finally see her adopted son once again. 

Shinji smiled back at the screen," Hi Misato! This is a surprise…."

"Yes, but don't worry Shinji. My calling you here is purely for peace. I mean no harm." Misato said urgently in hopes of not scaring him off.

Asuka pushed Shinji aside and appeared on the holo-screen down in central Dogma. "Of course you do! Why would you try to kill off your own children?"

Misato smiled brightly again," Asuka! My god….I thought I would never see you again…" Her began to swell with tears.

"Get a grip on yourself Misato! It's good to see you too." Asuka stated as Shinji shoved his way back onto the screen.

"Toji's here too Misato, but he's a little paranoid of Asuka right now…."

Misato took a deep breath and sighed," I understand. Give him my regards though."

Shinji nodded, "yeah, I will." Asuka once again shoved her way onto the screen.

"So what is it that you want Misato?" Asuka asked; almost in an eager tone.

"Let me tell Shinji, Asuka. This concerns him too."

Asuka pouted and moved aside for Shinji to sit," Ok Misato, what is it?" He asked with concern.

"Listen Shinji,…..this may be hard for you to believe…..but I want you to come back to NERV headquarters."

Shinji could hardly believe his ears. Was she really asking him to come back? He just sat there silently, listening intently to her story.

"Shinji, you know as well as I do that there some force out there that is causing all this trouble. This force got into Geffen and General Tsubake, causing them to do these horrible things." Misato explained carefully.

"………."

"It is all a long, complicated story Shinji. But all you really need to know is that our enemy is not what it appears to be. Geffen and Tsubake were not the ones we were after. We were after the entity that got inside of them. That entity is….an angel. An angel that we never killed completely.

Shinji's grew wide, "…..th-there's still an angel?" A great anxiety filled Shinji quickly, but was abruptly interrupted as Asuka pushed his head down, putting herself on the screen once again.

"MEIN GOTT! Are you serious?!" Asuka was just as surprised as Shinji was, "but how?! How is that possible?!"

Misato shrugged her shoulders," this angel was different from the others we thought. This angel was built completely from nano technology, making it invisible to the naked eye."

Asuka had an idea of Misato was talking about, "You mean the angel that infected the Magi? I thought that Ritsuko destroyed it!"

Misato nodded in agreement," So did I. But apparently, the angel had the ability to disguise himself as ordinary computer data. Completely undetectable by our technology. It has stayed inside of oursystem for years, dormant and unrecognizable. That is, until we dismantled NERV. The results lead to the angel's inevitable escape….and the rest is pretty much history."

Asuka kept her hand pushed down on Shinji's head as a dozen questions filled her head," Then what is it after? Third Impact has already happened, what could it possibly want with us?"("Afuka, I cant Breaf….." Shinji managed to muffle.)

Misato rubbed the side of her temple," I know that you have a lot of questions Asuka, but I'm afraid that I can't answer them all right now."

Asuka nodded," So you wants to go there then? Back to NERV?" (Shinji's arms began flailing in the air. "….need….air…Afuka….")

Misato smiled and bowed her head," yes Asuka, I would. Don't worry; no charges will be brought to Shinji. He managed to escape with our line of defense. I have a feeling that he knew something bad was going to happen, and that's why he took the Eva. He feared that we wouldn't believe him, and he's probably correct. We wouln't have believed him easily. Isn't that right Shinji?"

"……."

Misato eyes proceeded up the screen and widened in bewilderment. "ASUKA! LET GO OF SHINJI!"

"hmm?" Asuka scanned her arm and found that she was pushing Shinji's head down into the chair cushion. She was literally suffocating him.

"Ahh! Sorry Shinji!' Asuka immediately withdrew her hand and propped Shinji in a upward position. He gasped for air and began taking deep breaths.

"…It's…ok…Asuka…."

Misato sighed with a mix of relief and exasperation. " Okay….now that I got attention from both of you, do you understand what I'm asking?"

Shinji nodded in agreement, "all right Misato. We'll come back. But promise…..and I mean really PROMISE ME…that you will not do anything to harm us. I know that you would never intend to hurt us Misato, but I'm a bit concerned with the NERV council….."

Misato waved her hand at Shinji and smiled," oh, don't worry about them! They can't really do anything to stop you anyway. Heh…..in fact, they are almost scared to death of you."

Shinji rubbed the back of his neck and replied shyly," oh well….I really didn't mean to scare them…"

Asuka scoffed, "well you shouldn't be surprised Baka. You did do some pretty amazing things with this Eva after all…."

Shinji blushed and laughed weakly, "y-yeah…I suppose I did….."

Misato was a little surprised, "Wow Asuka, you certainly changed. Usually you would insult him and tell him how worthless he is…"

"…….she still insults me….." Shinji teased.

"Watch it baka…" Asuka said in a semi-dangerous tone.

Shinji backed away a little from Asuka and laughed weakly.

"Well I'm glad to see that you two are finally getting along," Misato smiled, "So when can we expect you to arrive?"

"We'll leave right away Misato. We should be there in no time at all!" Shinji remarked brightly.

"All right, then I'll preparations made immediately. So until then….I'll see you two later!" Misato waved her hand in farewell.

"Thank you Misato. We'll see you there." Shinji nodded in farewell, and Asuka waved back. Then the whole screen went blank as the communication line went dead.

Misato sat in the chair and leaned back against it. She smiled and stared at the ceiling, "it's finally over. They're coming home."

* * *

Shinji laid back against the chair as the screen went blank. He looked over at Asuka and smiled. "It's finally over Asuka. We're going home…."

Asuka looked ecstatically at Shinji and nodded in agreement. She grabbed Shinji by the collar and pulled him into a tight embrace. Shinji could swear that she was crying; crying tears of joy and happiness. Shinji really couldn't blame her either because this chase finally came to an end. And most of all, the end of thispursuit resulted in peace. That was the important part.

"At last, Commander Katsuragi realizes our situation," Rei stated. She almost sounded relieved as well. "Ikari, it is safe to return now. We can go home."

Shinji nodded and pulled away from Asuka. He buckled his restraints along the chair and took hold of the controls as Asuka took her place behind the chair.

Then Shinji just realized something, "crap! Asuka, how's Toji?'

Asuka turned around and spotted the familiar dark haired boy. He was still in somewhat of a dazed state of mind; one that Asuka and Shinji didn't understand.

"Wow Asuka, you really must of hurt him this time. He's afraid to even speak." Shinji looked at Toji with worry, "Toji, are you all right?"

Toji's dazed look faded as a small smile crept along his face. He turned towards Shinji and revealed a face that couldn't be any happier.

"Are we….really going home Shinji?"

Shinji nodded with relief, "Yes Toji. We are."

Toji leaned his head against the side of the plug and closed his eyes.

"Thank God for that…Thank God….."

Shinji grasped the controls and launched the Eva into the chair, landing about a half a mile away from its initial spot.

"Ok Shinji, Let's do it! Take us home." Asuka said to him encouragingly.

Shinji nodded in confirmation

Their next destination was realized. Their next stop really was….home….

* * *

End of Chapter 12

This chapter.....I dont know....its seems kind of awkward. And maybe a little too straight foward....

oh well, better luck next time I suppose. Anyway, I will be honest in saying that the next chappie won't be up for a few weeks. Finals are approaching fast, and I have already recieved a few projects to worry about.But by the time Christmas vacation comes around, I'll be sure to post again. Who knows? maybe I'll get more than onechapter done over break (I should..).

Sorry if there is any inconvience. My hand is being forced. Besides that, I would (like always) appreciate reviews. Please keep it up!

Well, that is all I have to say. Goodbye, and see you all next chapter!


	13. The Harder They Fall

Disclaimer: Don't Own Eva.

Hey everyone. Inspiration hit me like a brick, and motivation was up to the max. In other words, early update!

Enjoy!

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Chapter 13: The Harder They Fall.

All was well again.

Tokyo-3 was once again bustlingwith the sounds of people, as the ever-infamous Eva pursuit had come to a peaceful end. Not one citizen knew why this national event had all the sudden ceased; all they knew was that the Evangelion was back in the hands of NERV headquarters.

It all happened only yesterday…

FLASHBACK

At about Noon, Tokyo-3 was visited with a rather pleasant (and unsuspected) surprise, as the Evangelion known as Unit 01, trudged its way into the city limits. Naturally, the populace was shocked at first; Cars piled in the streets, sidewalks were suddenly still, and the only sound that could be heard was the repetitive rumbling of the Evangelion's steps. It apparently wasn't ready for battle mode, let alone was it planning on damaging anything at all.

It was just…walking. Like it was a normal citizen of this city (a 100 foot tall citizen…).

Commotion started breaking loose, as one person shouted at it in fear. Then one thing lead to another, and soon the whole crowd was shouting at the elusive beast as it trampled its way into a empty intersection within the once-bustling city streets.

"What's it doing?!'

"What does he want from us?!"

"Is he…..giving up?!"

These were just a few of the shouts given by the population, all of whom were equally perplexed by what was happening. Hell, they were confused from the very beginning; why was the Eva still alive? Why did its' rouge pilot take it?

They hoped for some answers, seeing as the truth behind the events prior to Third Impact was revealed to them as well. The angels….the reality of Second Impact…the Evangelion, NERV, everything was told to the general public. So if NERV knew everything then, what about now? Shouldn't theyknow what's going on now?

The Eva ceased it trek, and stopped in the middle of a street intersection, completely free of vehicles, the citizens, everything. That just raised more speculation and fear among the crowd.

"What's it doing now?"

"Oh my God! Is it going to attack?!"

"What's wrong with the pilot?"

Their questions were answered abruptly as the Evangelion shuttled downward into the streets below, as if it had fallen into a trapdoor of sorts. It had disappeared within seconds, and there was no explanation for it.

Except one….NERV Headquarters.

The Evangelion was going back to NERV. And that alone was proof enough that this conflict they were facing for the past weeks have finally come to a close. That gave the spectators a little more ease and relief.

Yet they still wanted to know….what the hell is going on?

The Eva descended into the rocky geofront, traveling at a high velocity into the very heart of NERV headquarters. The catapult was obviously waiting for him at the surface, meaning that NERV central control was all ready for Shinji's eminent arrival.

"What is his estimated time of arrival?" Misato demanded. They needed to time the Eva's arrival into the holding compound perfectly, or else the sudden impact of the catapult onto the ground could cause a tuning fork effect into the Eva, throwing off the harmonics of the whole Unit. In other words, Sync ratio would deteriorate, and the pilot could face some significant mental damage.

"Time of arrival: 28 seconds till he reaches the cage compound. 18 seconds till he reaches reduction point." Stated one of the personnel, "Once we reach the reduction point, we have to decrease the speed of the catapult instantaneously to a comfortable velocity, or else it will surely collide."

Misato knew damn well that all the catapults were malfunctioning. They were originally programmed to accelerate at high speed during ascent, and descend at low speed. But with all the changes and dismantling that took place within the headquarters itself, the catapults had somehow glitched;Now itonly moved at tremendous speed when activated.

The only way to stop it, was to manuallytake overcontrols.

"10 seconds till reduction point!"

"Prepare for manual override!" Misato ordered. An officer responded by typing in a series of logarithms into the main console.

"catapult debugged! Ready for velocity configuration."

"5 seconds to Reduction!"

Misato kept silent. These moments were usually the most tense for her; if anything were to go wrong, she was the one who had to take responsiblity.

"4….3….2…1"

"NOW!"

The catapult jolted momentarily, then proceeded downward at a moderate speed. The Eva staggered slightly from the abrupt change in speed, but no damage was done in the least. This Eva had faced much worse battle damage.

"Catapult velocity reduced, approaching the vicinity at a speed of 10 mph Estimated time of arrival: 20 seconds"

"All right! Prepare the bridge!" Misato shouted. She felt slightly more comfortable knowing that the launch pad was overridden. They still had to complete a successful docking sequence nonetheless, though that procedure was much less difficult. From here on in, it was just another typical NERV operation course of action

"Bridge ready for docking. Unit 01's estimated time of arrival: 4 seconds"

Misato watched the console screen as Evangelion Unit 01 came into direct view. It was descending slowly, reaching the ground surface closer with every second. Soon, the entire catapult was locked into place by the large metallic clamps built into the compound.

"Launch pad halted. Commencing docking procedure."

Two large vices took hold of the Eva on both sides, each were equipped onto a magnetic track below the steel surface. The vices lead the Eva downward along a fifteen-degree angle, accelerating at a speed of 20 mph towards the umbilical bridge. That very bridge was their final destination.

The vices stopped within the precise position among the bridge.

"Primary restraints engaged."

The Eva's body suddenly felt the imprisoning grip of the clamps around its body. These clamps were supposedly meant to keep the Eva controlled at all costs, though that normally proved to be ineffective. Oh well, it didn't matterthat much. It was just part of normal NERV procedure.

"Secondary restraints engaged."

The grasp around Unit 01 become tenser, as several more hydraulic clasps took their hold.

"Eva secured. Docking complete."

"Data readings affirmative. Harmonics appear normal. Synch ratio well over 70 percent."

" 70 percent?! That's pretty impressive for the Unit's idle state. All right, force eject the plug." Misato ordered as the Eva's database supplied the console with the familiar parameters. Everything was getting back to the way it should be.

" I'm going to go help them. Take over for me," Commanded Mistato.

"Yes, Commander," the young personnel nodded as Misato took her leave from Central Dogma.

Down below, the Evangelions' plug was ejected and ready to be unlocked. The door to the plug jiggled slightly, as the door was attempted to be open from the inside. For some reason, it was difficult for Shinji to open the door; it must have been the LCL.

But sure enough, the door opened up as all three Eva pilots collapsed to ground; the idea being that they would put all their body weight on the door in order to open it.

"Hey! Watch where you're putting your hands idiot!" Shouted Asuka in her usual manner.

"sorry! sorry!...sheesh....chill out..." Toji rebutted, pulling himself off the top of Asuka. Asuka repeated the action by getting off of Shinji.

"Come on guys. We just got back, and I don't want to hear any arguing right now." Shinji complained as the three of them made their way along the umbilical bridge. All were completely drenched in LCL.

"Ugh…I really need to bathe Shinji. That LCL is always hard to get out of my hair," exclaimed Asuka.

"Whoa…..this place hasn't changed…" Toji spoke in awe, as he looked at the surroundings among him. He had only piloted his Evangelion once, so this sight was still exciting to him.

He was right though, the Eva's cage hasn't changed that much at all. The bridge was apparently intact, hanging about 100 feet off the ground. The room itself was relatively sterile and well-taken care of, as if this part of the headquarters had remained undamaged for ages. And in front of them stood the Eva: back where it should be; it's very own home within the bowels of NERV headquarters. It was in the exact same position that Shinji found it in every time he would ready himself for piloting.

"We must be in a different cage. The Eva destroyed the last one when I tried to escape." Shinji said with some worry in the sound of his voice. He didn't really cause any unnecessary trouble for Misato, especially when it came to damage costs. He had completely destroyed the Umbilical Bridge, decimated the side of a launch chute (probably blocking off the whole path upward); and not to mention the damages done to the city itself.

"Sciess Baka….you're lucky that this place is to be dismantled soon anyway" Asuka said with mild sarcasm, "or else Misato would have killed you for sure."

Shinji bowed his head in regret and pouted," you don't have to rub it in Asuka…"

"oh, don't start with that whole pity act Baka! It's really getting on my nerves!" Asuka added irritably," why don't you act your age for a change?"

"oh, like you can talk! All you do is yell and insult me all the time! Why don't you grow up?!"

Asuka grew angry and grabbed by the held and pulled him into a headlock, reigning horrible death upon the poor boy's cranium," HOWS THIS FOR GROWN-UP?! HUH?!"

"ow! Let go of me Asuka! OOOWWWW!! Please!" Shinji begged as Asuka continued to pound Shinji's head with her left fist.

" Begging won't get you out of this one, Baka!!"

"ahem."

Everyone grew silent. Auska stopped pummeling Shinji across the head, and the two of them focused toward the source of the voice.

Misato stood on the other side of the bridge, looking at the two oddballs will disbelief.

Asuka loosened her grip as Shinji stood up next to Asuka's side. Toji took a couple of steps next to them; all three facing Misato.

No one spoke a word, as if the ability to speak had mysteriously left each of them. There really were no words that could be spoken right now; this reunion was thought to have never come between any them. Misato had thought that she would never be able to see here adopted children again, let alone Shinji's classroom buddy, Toji Suzahara. As a result, she could never truly find the words that would describe her joy of seeing them again.

Instead, she merely walked towards them. Slowly at first, then she broke into a full sprint and hugged Shinji with great force. Shinij was caught off guard, causing him to collapse backwards onto the ground. Misato broke down into tears of joy.

"h-h-hi….Misato…" Shinji said nervously; he not used to this form of affection coming from his guardian. She was bawling like crazy too, which only added to his already embarrassed state.

Asuka became slightly jealous of Misato's sudden jump onto Shinji, making her turn red with fury, "HEY! What are you doing to him guardian?!"

Misato choked back her tears and released her grasp on Shinji. She stood up quickly and wiped some excess tears from her eyes, "sorry Shinji. I…sniff....I'm just so happy to see you all again.."

Asuka scoffed slightly and crossed her arms along her chest," don't embarrass yourself Misato. We're glad to see you too," she added with a smile.

Misato glared at Asuka for a few moments," Will you ever change Asuka? I thought that Shinji opened your heart or something romantic like that."

Asuka blushed; she was not comfortableof sharing her feelings with anyone except Shinji.

"H- He did. It's just that if any girl touches him, they answer to the great Asuka! Yeah, that's it!"

Misato laughed weakly," heh…I see….and what were you just doing to him earlier?"

Asuka averted her eyes from Misato," I was just playing with him. We do that a lot, right Shinji?"

Shinji nodded and whispered something under his breath, '…but you hurt me…"

Asuka didn't catch the last part, but the nod was good enough confirmation for her," see? We have changed Misato!"

Misato was still in disbelief. Asuka was still as fiery as ever, and Shinji continued to be submissive and quiet. How could they have possibly changed?

Maybe if she examined long enough, she would understand.

Misato switched her train of thought as she spotted someone out of the corner of her eye; it was Toji, who was wise to not get caught up in the recent quarrel. Instead, he quietlystepped behind his two fellow pilots.

"Toji, is that you?" Misatoasked brightly.

Toji immediately tensed up and blushed madly. If Shinji didn't know any better, he would say that Toji still had a liking to Misato…

"Y-yeah. Hi M-Misato," was all that Toji managed to get out.

'What's the matter with you Suzahara? Did yourbrain shut down on you again?" Asuka teased with a small hint of sarcasm.

Toji glared at Asuka angrily and retorted," S-shut up! This doesn't concern you!"

Asuka looked back at Toji with confusion, when all the sudden she finally realized what was going on.

Her face changed as she looked at Toji evilly.

"Oh….I get it. You still have a thing for Misato, don't you Toji?" Asuka asked slyly.

Toji's grew even more redder and his stuttering became more frequent.

"W-w-w-w-WHAT? NO!" Toji was slowly losing his grip on the whole conversation.

"Ha! I knew it! You can't even come up with a decent insult! This idiot DOES have a crush on Misato. Sigh….boy…Hikari going be sooooooo disappointed when she hears about this…." Asuka suddenly gained the upper hand with their little talk.

Toji jerked back and his eyes grew wide," WHAT? Don't you dare do that to me devil!" Toji clasped his mouth quickly, but it was too late. Thedeadly word got out again…and Asuka heard it….

"What?!! What did you just call me?!!" Asukastalked towards Suzahara and kicked him along the thigh with her good leg. Toji grunted in pain and fell to the ground. Asuka took advantage of Toji's weaken state and began stomped on him repeatedly.

Toji would have been in worse trouble, if Shinji hadn't ran over and restrained Asuka from behind.

"Whoa! Slow down, Asuka! You know that he was just teasing!"

Asuka stopped kicking against Suzahara and started breathing slowly. Toji wasn't hurt badly (heck, it was only a bruises), but getting your ass kicked twice in the same day would sure put a damper on things.

"I told him never to call me that Shinji! You know that!"

"I know…I know….but still, you were teasing him too. That must have provoked him to say it…"

Asuka's breathing became more moderate as she looked down at the frightened Toji; chances are, he wouldn't be ready to talk for another couple of hours at least.

Shinji kept his grasp on Asuka, just in case she felt like trying that stunt again; but his eyes were focused on Misato, who was (ironically) the primary source of this conversation.

She was…..shocked….to say the least.

"Goodness….you three have been away from civilization longer than I thought…"

Shinji chuckled weakly," heh heh…yeah. That's kind of the reason we came back...."

Misato nodded," Well then…..all I have to say is…Welcome home Shinji."

"Thanks Misato.And honestly....it does feel a liitle good to be back again," Shinji nodded in response.

"Oh, and Asuka?" Misato added. Asuka turned her head to her former guardian and commander. She was still chilling out from her little fit.

"We really need to do something about that temper of yours."

END FLASHBACK

"Hey, did hear about what happened yesterday?"

"Of course, everyone in the whole town heard about it.Tt's nationwide news."

"Then is it true that Eva gave up? Is it really done fighting?"

"How the hell should I know?......Still….I sure hope it's done too. It's done enough damage already…"

This kind ofheated conversation is the one you would typically find between two elderly gentlemen in a local coffee shop. It was the latest news after all, and probably the only topic of discussion for some individuals.

For others, however, it was merely a sign that something was still going on…..something big.

Why would a 100 foot monster justactivate and leave, and then come back three weeks later to NERV's welcome mat? There had to be a motive….

One particular individual was in the process of investigating that motive. He was semi-tall man, with neatly trimmed brown hair and a pair of specs. He wore a fairly casual clothing, and was currently doing God-knows-what on his laptop. From this apparent imagery, it can be safe to say that this young man was probably a university student….or possibly a Government agent….

Sadly, he was neither. Just another normal guy from the city looking for a way to make a living in the growing metropolis; while at the same time, looking for the dream he always hungered for.

This man was known as Kensuke Aida. 20 years old, an expert hacker, and a combat enthusiast. And right now, he only had one goal in mind: find the reasoning behind Eva unit 01's sudden reappearance

" Why won't they tell us anything? You know…that one company….now what is it called…..NERV! that's it!"

"Good point. They did tell us about everything that happened the last time. The 'angels' or whatever they called them….."

"Still……they didn't tell us until it was all over…..so the reason they aren't telling us now…"

"Is because it is not over yet," Kensuke stated, interrupting the two gentlemen talking.

Thepair turned around and looked at the young man who so rudely butted into their conversation. The boy wasn't even looking at them; just typing on his little computer, eyes glued to it and never looking away.

"Pardon me Young man?"

Ken continued gazing at the luminous computer screen and typed furiously, "You're right, NERV will tell us everything; all the questions we have about this whole incident will be answered. But they will only tell us once they see it fit, meaning that the situation has to be over before they announce."

The two men gave the boy their full attention, though they still didn't appreciate being interrupted by an eavesdropping punk.

"So logically, it means that whatever is going on right now….is not over yet. Simple as that; that is why the Evangelion came back. The real question is: what is going on, and why did it prompt the pilotto come back?"

One of the two men chuckling heartily," So you don't know either……eh, boy?"

"Then we may never know what's happening! What if this situation involves us?" Said the other of the two.

Kensuke shut the laptop and stood up,"I don;t very much about going on, but I plan to find out"

Kensuke walked past his audience and made way for the front entrance. The two gentlemen were not satisfied with the answer given to them.

"Hey! What makes you think that you can find out?"

Aida stopped in his tracks and addressed the question casually, "You two haven't lived here in Tokyo-3 long, have you?"

The pair of them shook their heads in response.

Kensuke simply smiled, "then you probably won't understand anyway."

With those final words, Aida opened the door and took leave from the quaint coffee shop, into the brisk world outside.

The two men felt insulted by his last words, but they didn't want to bother to do anything about it. That boy was just an arrogant young man…..that's all. He knew nothing, nothing at all.

……But still….something seemed odd about him. As if he reallywas hiding something that would be hard for others to understand.

Only a Tokyo-3 native would be that mysterious.

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_It was a small apartment_; that is all that can be said. It was a little smaller than Misato's pad (almost identical to it), and could only house two people at most; no pets or anything. It had the usual kitchen/dining room, a living room complete with a television and a couch, abathroomand two bedrooms. The bedrooms themselves appeared to be quite empty, apart from the covered beds and a few loose clothes hangers isolated within the closet. All in all, the apartment itself was a little better than Asuka, but not as comfortable as Misato's.

Still, Shinji and Asuka would have to call this place home from now on.

"Well here it is!" Said a cheerful Misato, as she unlocked the door and invited the two of them in, "Not too luxurious, but it is the best we can afford for now."

Shinji and Asuka stepped in, both slightly disappointed with how gloomy theis placeappeared to be.

"So…..what do you think?" Misato asked anxiously.

Asuka was the first to speak, "you mean this where I have to live? Seems kind of depressing Misato…"

Misato shrugged," Just needs the lights turned on; and your stuff still hasn't been brought from Tokyo-2 yet Asuka. Once you get some more stuff in here, I'm sure that you and Shinji call this place home."

"You mean that Shinji and I are to share this place?!" Asuka asked with some surprise.

Though it was Misato who was the surprised one, "Of course! I thought you two....liked being together...you know?"

Asuka blushed but quickly caught herself, "w-we do! It's just that…well…what if we......well....get too close?"

Misato giggled a little, "Don't worry Asuka, I fully trust the both of you."

Shinji spoke next, though his voice hung with concern and embarrassment, "Don't worry Asuka, We just have to be careful…that's all."

Misato nodded," Shinji's right Asuka. That means that if the two of you do it, then please use protection."

"W-WHAT?!" Asuka managed to blurt out of sheer embarrassment.

Shinji was equally embarrassed, "What?! T-that's not what I meant!!"

Misato knew that she was teasing, but continued playing along, "hee..hee….I'm sorry. But if you ever need it Shinji, there is a nice little convenient st-"

"MISATO!!" Shinji shouted. The shame was just too much for the poor boy.

"Sorry…sorry...just kidding…" Misato said in surrender," anyway, this will be your place from on. If you need anything, I am just a floor down from here. Here, take this."

Misato handed Asuka a small piece of paper.

"It's a list of phone numbers; top one's mine, bottom one's the NERV line; only use that line in an absolute emergency! And the rest are pretty self-explanatory. Any questions? " Misato explained.

"handed Asuka a small piece of paper.

"It's a list of phone numbers; top one's mine, bottom one's the NERV line; only use that line in an absolute emergency! And the rest are pretty self-explanatory. Any questions? " Misato explained.

" Yeah…Misato. Do you really trust us to live here all by ourselves?" Shinji asked, still very anxious about the whole thing.

"I most certainly do. You two have done it time and time again without any major problems. And besides….."

Misato grabbed onto both of their shoulders and pulled them close, "you two are adults now. You have the responsibility to make your own choices. Please…make the right ones."

She let them go and headed for the front door.

"Asuka, your stuff should arrive in the morning. Until then, please just try to make the best of this place. I'll stop by tomorrow evening to see how the two of you are getting along."

She began to close the door behind her, "Good night you two!"

Shinji and Asuka waved goodbye," Goodnight Misato!"

Misato closed the door completely, shutting in the only two residents of this lonely room. She was right though; the two really did have to make the best of this cold, bleak apartment for the mean time.

"Scheiss….I hate it when she gets all sentimental. Hey Shinji! How about we get some dinner?" Asuka askedwith fiery anticipation.

Shinji smiled and nodded, "Sure. Will ramen be alright for tonight?"

Asuka shrugged her shoulders, "aww….is ramen the best you can do? Sigh….alright, that's fine."

Shinji walked to cabinet; Misato had already provided them with plenty of food, seeing as it was all NERV's investment.

As Shinji searched the kitchen,Asuka noticed that there was something odd about his smile.

It seemed so….sad…..

Twenty minutes later, their dinner was all set and ready. Misato was right about this place; once you've learned to open up more, it seemed more comfortable and not as foreboding. The lights were on as well, though the bulbs looked like they would go out any minute. It was this light that kept things at peace, without it, the two of them would just plummet into the chaos of the darkness….

Or maybe…the chaos within their souls…

Asuka was pleased to see an actual dinner for a change; but it wasn't the food that made it that way (hell, they have been eating instant food for quite a long time now) it was the atmosphere once again. She felt like she was back at Misato's apartment,when things were the way they should be; back when things shouldn't have taken for granted.

Asuka cherished those memories more than anything. Ironically, it was those days before Third Impact when Asuka reached into the deepest part of herself and pulled out all her horrible memories. It was those days that made her remember the things she tried to forget.

And it was those days she missed the most. She often thought about thetime of the Third Impact. Why did it have to happen? Why did everyone have to suffer its wrath? And why did Shinji have to suffer the most?

While literally inhaling her food, Asuka noticed that Shinji hadn't even touched his. He looked like utterly depressed for some reason, as if someone had dug into his heartand pulled out all the happiness inside of him.

Asuka stopped chewing her food and looked at him with concern.

"What's the matter Shinji? You haven't eaten any of your food yet." She asked cheerfully in hopes of spiking up his mood.

"huh?." Shinji jutted out of his little trance and looked at Asuka with a blank face.

That didn't surprise her much, "sigh……weren't you even listening to me? What's the matter, Shinji? Something has to be bothering you."

Shinji nodded sadly and collected his words," Yeah…something is…."

There was silence for a few minutes, then he spoke again.

"Asuka…do you really love me?"

Asuka scoffed nonchalantly, as if that question didn't mean anything, "Of course I do Shinji. Why else would I stay with you baka?"

Shinji smiled weakly, "Okay…but…Asuka?"

"What is it Shinji?"

"If you love me, then why is it that you still act this way?"

Asuka was taken by surprise for a moment, "Hey! What do you mean by that?"

Shinji's voice grew stronger as he spoke with more confidence, " I thought you changed Asuka. Remember when I first found you three weeks ago? I thought I saw a different Asuka then….one that was caring, understanding, and not too much like what she used be....just a little like the old Asuka. It was nice…I liked it."

Asuka continued to listen intently.

"But then after a few days, you started acting normally again. Always insulting me and calling me baka; I can understand the baka part Asuka, and I do like it…..somewhat….but you still keep on hurting me. Like this afternoon when you attacked me and then Toji. You keep hurting others."

Asuka chuckled a little, "Come on Shinji, you know that I was just playing with you. I would never hurt intentionally, ever. And as for Suzahara.... well...he should of kept his mouth shut."

"I understand Asuka, but it is still embarrassing and hurtful. It was just like back when we were younger…"

Asuka stopped chuckling and looked at Shinji with a concerned face. He really was acting serious. Did he really believe that she hurt him on purpose?

"Asuka…..I'm starting to think that…..you haven't changed at all."

Shinji's last sentence echoed in her mind. A series of memories flashed before her eyes;…Evangelion Unit 02……Shinji…Misato……NERV headquarters…..the doll……..her mother's doll…..suicide….."will you join me?"……I don't want you……"you're unwanted"……….As an Eva Pilot, you are wanted…..

_Haven't changed at all…Haven't changed at all…Haven't changed at all…_

Those words sparked something inside of Asuka. Something that she thought was gone for good, but it wasn't. It was the very thing that drove the two of them apart six years ago…..her anger and pride….

And this time, it was back for vengeance.

"You think I haven't changed? Look at you! You're still always moping around and hiding behind others! Don't go judging me Shinji Ikari! You're guilty as well you stupid pervert!"

Shinji never thought those words would come from her. He expected the caring Asuka to understand how he felt, but that wasn't the case.

Instead she only brought with her words of pain…..and resentment.

Nonetheless, Shinji wasn't going to let Asuka get away with hurting him.

"What?! Oh-oh yeah!? Look at you! Even though you don't always say you're little Miss Perfect, you still act like it! You're as arrogant as ever!"

Shinji's words fed Asuka's fire of anger, " ARROGANT?! HOW DARE YOU CALL ME THAT! AFTER ALL WE'VE BEEN THROUGH TOGETHER! AFTER HOW I HELPED YOU!"

Shinji raised his voice as well.

"ITS TRUE THOUGH! YOU'RE STILL AS STUCK UP AS EVER!"

"AND YOU MY DEAR SHINJI, ARE NOTHING MORE THAN THE SPINELESS COWARD I THOUGHT YOU TO BE!"

Shinji's anger was reaching a breaking point.

"OH YEAH?!! WELL AT LEAST I STILL HAVE MY EVA! AND MY MOTHER!"

Shinji knew he crossed the line that time. But there was nothing he could do. Asuka heard it. Loud and clear.

Her face boiled with anger, and her eyes flashed with chaos. She grunted out of pure fury and grabbed onto the table in front her. With all her strength, Asuka flipped the table and its contents onto Shinji.

Shinji covered his head, as hot ramen poured over him. He fell onto the floor with a loud thump, and remained there unmoving. The silverware scattered over the floor in all directions, and the chairs turned over and fell onto the floor as hard as Shinji did. Asuka stood there in a defensive stance, breathing hard as the rage in her body subsided temporary.

All was silent for a long while.

Asuka's fit of fury had apparently ceased; she just stood there and stared at the pathetic worm that struggled on the ground before her. She had done it. She had hurt Shinji again, as a part of her wanted.

Her voice broke the silence.

"I'm leaving Shinji. I don't want to be around a coward like you anymore."

Asuka's soft footsteps made way for the door. She winced several times in the process; she really couldn't believe what she was saying, and a part of her kept telling her to stop; but nonetheless, it appeared that she really was back to her old self. Boy…was she back to her old self.

And that is what hurt Shinji the most. Not the hot liquids burning his skin, or the crushing blow of his body hitting the ground; it was the fact that Asuka was back to…..'normal'….for a lack of a proper term. All the hard work he did in attempting to save her from herself…didn't pay off.

Asuka put on her shoes, coat, and walked out of the entrance into the cold, cold night outside. She slammed the door behind her, leaving Shinji alone in his own misery and pain.

He was alone again. Something that he wanted long ago, but never again did he make that wish. He knew now that he wanted, and needed,someonespecialin order to exist; and he irresponsibly just drove awaythat significant other.

Shinji stood up and walked to couch, uncaring of how much pain he was facing physically. The mental pain was far more strenuous than anything his bodily shell could.

Many thoughts dug into his mind…horrible ones….

'All I do is hurt others……why……why is it that all I do is hurt other people?…….'

Voices started gathering within the bowels of his subconscious.

'Hedgehog's Dilemma…..Hiding behind the skirt of a little girl at a time like this!?….The hedgehog wants to closer to other hedgehogs, but he can't without getting hurt by the thorns….get up Shinji…help me Asuka….You don't care about me!….You don't even love yourself!'

these voices….these horrible yet familiar voices…..were all true. He clutched onto his head in agony and tried to block out these terrible memories.

'….our spare is being delivered….I'm not going to feel sorry for you Shinji!….you're useless!…..you coward….baka….spineless….there is nothing more useless then a housebroken male!'

The voices stopped; he didn't know where they came from or why the came, but they were here; echoing inside his very head. Shinji lowered his head, relieved to see that the voices in his head stopped; but still….they were right. They were all right about him.

He was spineless. He was a coward. He didn't want to hurt others. He didn't want to be hurt by others. He was usable if he piloted the Evangelion. He hated……himself.

Shinji broke down and began sobbing his hands.

"I'm no different……I'm no different…..I haven't changed in the least…"

The lights went out as Shinji sobbed in the darkness that filled the room. With the night that had befallen him, everything seemed so hopeless….

He mourned for himself, whom he never truly loved or changed. And he mourned for Asuka, for whom he pushed away over a petty and meaningless fight; the girl he hurt because he, ironically, didn't want to be hurt.

'What have I done?…sob……What have I done?…….'

The darkness was growing deeper now as Shinji fell into deep despair. The night grew colder…and the apartment was so barren. Too barren for a boy like Shinji.

He didn't want to be alone anymore. Never again did he want to be alone.

He ceased crying and crouched over, his head hovering over the dark cold floor. He see his last remaining teardrops fall to the ground, like the rain in Tokyo-2. That cold depressing rain...

He muttered three words then; the only words that truly meant anything to him from this moment on.

"I'm Sorry Asuka."

Shinji staggered up and walked to his room, prepared for the worst night of his life.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

END OF CHAPTER 13

What will happen to Shinji and Asuka's newly developed love? Why did they remember their memories? Have they really remained unchanged over the years in which they matured? Not sure….next chapter will have the answers though.

Well, another chapter completed. Good news is that myfinals haven't really started yet, so I had a chance to re-watch some of the Evangelion episodes, as well as EoE. Doing that made typing this fic a lot more comfortable….hence, the early update.

I'am really pleased with how this chapter turned out; a little short, but not enough so that it is bothersome. Nonetheless, I'm much more satisfied with this onethan with the recent chapters I have made (thank you free time!). So that was rather nice.

I have no idea if I will get another chapter done this week, but rest assured… I will try to update as soon as possible.

In the meantime, please continuing reviewing!

That's about all I have to say. So until the next chapter, see you later!


	14. Blank Ticket

Disclaimer: Don't own Eva.

I'am very VERY sorry for the late update. I have no excuse for that, other that I'am a lazy good-for-nothing.

Thankfully, this is my longest chapter yet! I hope you all enjoy it!

Chapter 14: Blank Ticket

* * *

"…hmm….unfamiliar ceiling." 

Shinji stated as he stared up at the light over his head. The room was still very cold, and the night was far from over. Even with the extensive amount of covers at his disposal, Shinji still couldn't get comfortable enough for a long winter's nap.

He was completely exhausted as well. He had been traveling for God knows how long, and had finally found a permanent residence in which he could rest and rebuild his strength. He had plenty of food available to him, and could regain his strength completely within about a week or so.

But even if that was the case, then this current state of insomnia seemed impossible. Something like exhaustion should have put him to sleep almost instantly, and yet here he was: wide-awake and still well aware of what time it was.

"4:36. I've been awake for over six hours now."

It never would occur to Shinji that his little sleep problem wasn't due to physical weakness, but to mental anguish. True, it had been six hours since he first decided to depart into slumber, but it had also been six hours since….the quarrel he had with Asuka. Something he really didn't want to think about right now. He had long thought over this subject for the many hours he was awake, and all the painful realizations he drew from the experience made him sick to his stomach.

But nonetheless, images of that night replayed backwards and forwards within his cranium. The hurtful words that she said….the physical pain he felt….and the undesirable good bye she had given him. It was almost as if she had used him like a tool this whole time. The reason why is unknown, but he did know one thing:

She wasn't different. She still hurt him. People who love each other shouldn't hurt one another; that is pure logic. Therefore…..she must have never truly loved him in the first place (and to think, Shinji blamed himself for their quarrel….).

But if that was true, than she certainly was a good actress. She could even make her eyes deceive the poor boy; those eyes of love were nothing more than a thick disguise used to mask the truth of her loath and disgust for him. Then when the time was right, she would reveal her true self and…..hurt him. Hurt him for whatever reason she had for doing so.

What could her motive possibly b-

Shinji's eyes widened, "Eva."

That's it. She wanted to destroy Shinji once and for all, because she was jealous of his skills as a pilot. She always had been; ever since they first met, she had established a rivalry between them, and continued to pummel him with insults and pain so that he may finally crack and surrender to her 'superiority'.

But that plan backfired…big time. She had a chance to show her superiority in the final battle with the opposing Eva units, but she ultimately failed…and paid a horrible price. She lost her unit and her mother to the icy black hand of death, which managed to grab her as well….

For a short time.

Shinji, with his God-like strength acquired during the final battle, managed to bring everyone eternal salvation and unity. And in return, he also got his own personal salvation; the loneliness he desired (at least, what he thought he desired…). But then….something odd happened. Asuka returned to him; the girl he thought he loved returned from the grave in order to bring him more torment. His new world turned to hell; the girl he loved, had all of eternity to express how much she despised him.

But then, something even stranger happened: she disappeared. She decided to stop tormenting him and left him for a good long time. The moment she left, was the very moment when a new hope was born in Shinji. A hope that told him that…..things could still be changed. He could change this women, and bring her into the light of hope.

This revelation gave him something to look for; it gave him a new meaning to life. And that was the reason why he took the Evangelion back: in order to fulfill his purpose.

This all lead to the last few weeks' events: the Eva escape, attack on Tokyo-2, everything.

And then, the dark truth broke out. The revelation he longed sought for, the love of another, was soon shot down by deceit. In other words, Asuka only pretended to like Shinji in hopes of destroying him once and for all. If she couldn't be an Eva pilot, then he couldn't either.

"If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me." Shinji mumbled silently. That phrase pretty much expressed what Asuka was thinking. The worst part of it is…….her plan worked…….almost completely.

She had left him in a state of complete self-loathing; an emotion in which Shinji could destroy himself from the inside out….a type of mental suicide. And with that part of her vicious scheme completed, Asuka decided to leave the rest of the killing up to Shinji's own self-conscience.

And if this elaborate fabrication was her reason for 'loving' him, then she had succeeded.

Tears began to form in Shinji's eyes.

He turned around and caught his face in the pillow, drowning his tears directly into the soft piece of fabric.

"Why? Why did have to fall for the one girl that hurts me the most?" Shinji muttered quietly against his futon. Irony had certainly dealt him quite a hand: a boy who absolutely abhors pain, finds his love in a woman who can do nothing but deliver turmoil.

Shinji chuckled silently at his own foolhardiness. He cursed himself for being so stupid as to trust a devilish woman such as Asuka, and he regretted ever saving that worthless bitch in the first place. At least….that is what his mind told him.

Repetitive laughing soon conquered Shinji's tears. The laughter was quiet, and completely unlike Shinji.

"…I guess….I'm no good at loving another either. Or at least, I'm no good at finding someone to care for me back. Why is it that no matter what, I always manage find someone who hurts me? Is it because I hurt them?"

Shinji moaned and clutched his head in exasperation, "..ugh….I…don't know. And…I can't go back to Asuka, that would be just dumb.."

Shinji wiped away a few loose tears and began to feel a strange confidence arise inside of him. A confidence that said, 'you don't need a girl like her anymore. Forget her and start over again.'

And even stranger, Shinji obeyed the voice of confidence. If the only person he trusted for compassion gave him pain, then she was not worthy to love or be loved.

Shinji smiled slightly to himself, feeling proud about his new-found revelation. He stared at the unfamiliar ceiling again, and let warmth fill his body. He could start over again; just like six years ago; but this time, things would be different. He was no longer chained to the desire of seeing Asuka again, meaning that he truly was free to do whatever he wanted from this point on. That alone gave him the warmth he had been searching for all night long.

However, something….felt wrong Very wrong.

* * *

Asuka shivered in her sleep. 

She still couldn't repress the trauma of the previous nights events out of her mind, and the cold weather among her didn't help matters much. All that stood between her and the bitter cold winter were several sheets of thin newspaper. And the park bench was rather uncomfortable in its own right….

Yes, it's true. Asuka is sleeping on a bench in the middle of the park in a cold winters night; but no one can really blame her, seeing as she really had nowhere else to go. She was still unsuccessful in finding Hikari or Kensuke (though she really wasn't searching for the latter.), and that stooge Toji was nowhere to be found. He disappeared sometime after Shinji and she arrived to their new humble abode.

So there she was: barely protected from the frigid world amongst her sleeping body, with no living soul in sight. But believe it or not, Asuka was pretty used to sleeping without a shelter. After all, she didn't instantly find a place to live once she arrived to Tokyo-2 six years ago. She spent many days sleeping on dirty park benches and wet cardboard boxes before actually finding a decent place to live. In fact, Asuka was rather lucky to find a place at all; it was all thanks to her kind boss back at the restaurant. He somehow had a knack for spotting potential within an individual, and then he came across Asuka. He gave a place to live, a decent paying job, and of course, the chance to live once again.

Too bad that didn't pay off in the long run. Six years of hard work, and the appearance of one person changed everything. And in the course of a few weeks, she somehow managed to slink her way back to the derelict position she had originally came to be. She was back to were she started now…..homeless and…..lonely….

Asuka's teeth chattered slightly from the wind chill; the newspaper flapped around fiercely and began to flutter away; page by page. Her cover was becoming shorter and shorter with each passing moment, and the wind was getting gustier with every page lost. Soon, the only protection she had left was her fall jacket.

Asuka curled into a fetal position across the park bench; the cold was much worse than she expected. She opened her eyes slowly and began looking around for and sort of heat she could find. Unfortunately, no such warmth could be found; the whole park was completely empty, apart from the lonely lamp dangling in the wind and the empty wastebasket next to her.

"…..shciess…", was the only thing Asuka could manage to get out. The fresh chill of the wind woke her up instantaneously, meaning that it would be nearly impossible for her to fall back to sleep. Besides, no human being in the right mind would sleep in this type weather without proper protection; and Asuka was no exception. Whenever things looked cold for her, she would bundle up with the closest thing near her: a pillow, a second blanket layer, or another person…

That other person being only Shinji and no one else.

"Shinji…." Her body flowed with heated fury at the sound of his name. The warmth felt good but it was far from comfortable. Just thinking about that spineless jerk only brought back the painful thoughts about the previous night….and memories from long ago as well. Memories that she thought were gone completely…until now.

"Damn Shinji…."

Asuka cursed the boy with a passion. He was the one who led her into a false sense of security, pretended to love her, and then later unleashed that cowardly personality which was within the boy the whole time. Asuka felt enraged at Shinji for masking his true self (the spineless baka), and she also felt embarrassed for ever loving such a boy. What kind of girl would love a worm anyway?

Also, she could never EVER forgive him for luring her back to Tokyo-3. Figures that a baka like him needed someone to cling onto, and Asuka was his primary choice. He was nothing more than a leech, looking for the best host possible. Once he found that host (Asuka), he deceived her, drained the only worthwhile emotions she had left, and left her for misery and suffering. For that, Asuka could never forgive him.

"….Why did he have to come back anyway?….I thought he was different then…..I thought he was different…….."

She took deep breaths in hopes of releasing some of this unnecessary stress. Unfortunately, that was harder than it looked; considering that every breath like was like inhaling fire straight down her throat. Thankfully, it calmed her down enough so that she was able to think straight.

'Okay, so what do I do now then?….I can't stay here….. I only came back to this awful city for…_him_……'

Asuka didn't want to think about him anymore; it was just too painful, albeit that was the only thing that would await over the horizon. She had nothing to look forward to, except a life of sorrow.

…..Or did she?

Asuka curled up even tighter, attempting to preserve the remaining heat she had left. Fortunately for her, the wind was dying down; she just might make it through this night alone….without having to resort to begging.

As she lied there underneath the moon-basked night, strange thoughts began to fill her mind. Thoughts that almost seemed…..to not come from her.

'Shinji's gone. The spineless baka that abandoned us is finally gone…..so shouldn't you be happy Asuka? He really is no different then your father you know; He abandoned you in your time of need also. But did he show any remorse for it?'

"no," Asuka said, as if the thoughts in her mind were sitting right next to her, speaking as if they were an actual person.

'That's right. He was a selfish, callus man; just like that useless pilot, Shinji Ikari. He's a worm. Nothing more than a worthless little grub. Why would you fall in love with such a…thing….Asuka?'

"…..I don't know. For some reason…..he just….called out to me. And I accepted." Asuka stated with a slight monotone.

"….that's called animal magnetism Asuka. It happens to everyone, regardless of his or her personal strengths and weaknesses. That is why you wanted to be closer to the baka; the real problem is that you actually accepted your attraction to him. You didn't deny the fact that you were attracted to someone who is lower then the ground he walks on. That makes you weak Asuka…terribly weak…."

Asuka's eyes winced slightly, "…that's right…..I' am weak. But…..the great Asuka can't be weak….never…."

'Correct. Your love for Shinji made you absolutely pathetic. But now that you have broken ties with the boy you so hopelessly followed….'

"…I can go on by being myself." Asuka finished for the voice.

'Not only yourself, but better than ever. You can become more powerful then you can ever imagine; even stronger then the Eva you once piloted long ago. You can once again become….the Great Asuka Langley Sohryu.'

An arrogant grin spread across Asuka's face like a bad infection, "Yes. I don't need anyone to become a stronger person…..nobody……nobody at all….."

The voice remained silent as Asuka continued.

"…..I don't need the Eva, I don't need mama, I don't even need Baka Shinji in order to survive! I can do it all on my own without help!"

'…yes. You can. Those people you have so helplessly clinged onto over the years are only obstacles standing in your way. The road to your dreams….must be clear.'

Asuka nodded in agreement. But…something didn't seem right. Something was still amiss……

Only two words came to mind: "Baka Shinji"….

'See what I mean Asuka? Those people you have come to trust are hurting you, even when they are not around you anymore. You have to break free from their holds on you, and aim for your true destiny. Do you understand what I' am saying Asuka?'

Asuka thought this over for a moment, and nodded hesitantly.

'….good……..keep that in mind……when I come back……'

"………" Asuka remained silent. There was not a sound to be heard for anywhere, not even from her general surroundings. The voice…..from wherever it came from…was gone.

Asuka's eyes wandered anxiously, "…who was that?…..and….how did it know my name?" At first, wonder girl came to mind (seeing as she was the only one capable of such a feat). But the voice didn't sound anything like her at all.

No….this voice sounded more….ominous…..and dangerous.

Asuka turned her back towards the bench and attempted to rest her uneasiness. She had nothing more to worry about anymore; the events of tonight and anything before that….would be nothing more than void. For tomorrow, was the start of her new life.

She smiled serenely at the thought of starting over again. It was hard to imagine; She would finally have a life…..without Eva….without all those painful memories….without those horrible angels, and most of all….a life without…..

"Baka Shinji…"

Asuka's smile fell.

* * *

Shinji stepped into the living room after a long day's slumber. He was ready to face another day, but this time he was not under the restraining temptation of that bitch he once called his lover. Today was different; today, he would start things anew and just forget about the events that happened prior to yesterday. And from this moment on, he would be the happiest bachelor the world has ever known. 

First, he would go out and look for his buddies, Toji and Kensuke. They never really steered him wrong…ever; Shinji could still trust them. He could just abandon his place here, and make tracks for some foreign town like he did long ago. And this time….his friends would be with him. After all, they would understand his current situation.

Problem was…..he had no idea on where either of them were. Toji ran off somewhere, and he still unsuccessful in finding Kensuke anywhere. But if luck was with him, they would most likely run into Shinji sometime; or maybe even visit his place. After all, Toji knew of Shinji's new residence, and he would never let down the opportunity to come and visit him.

So for now, all Shinji had to do was sit down, derive his new plan for escaping, and wait for his friends. That was all he could do, and was perfectly content with that.

Shinji walked into the kitchen and looked for something to drink in the fridge. All that he could find was soda; though he didn't complain much. He really needed some caffeine right now, and was relieved to see that his refrigerator wasn't jammed packed with liquor. Misato (being a heavy drinker) did provide all of this for Shinji, so it's a surprise to see that she at least got her priorities straight.

Shinji opened up the can and took a big gulp of soda in a fashion that mimicked Misato. He really couldn't help but feel happy ; Asuka was gone, and so was his source of anguish. He was perfectly happy with that fact.

He plopped down on the couch and flicked the TV on with the remote. He continuously clicked to different channels, but was unlucky in finding anything to watch. All that was worth watching was the reports about 'the beast that terrorized Japan', but he already lived that experience.

Shinji flicked the TV off and tossed the controller onto the adjacent chair. He laid his back against the couch and stared up at the ceiling. Now would be a better time then any to began contemplating his escape plan.

'…where can I go anyway? Can't really do Tokyo-2 again…..they'll find me there for sure. What about Old Tokyo? Or maybe Kyoto? I'm not even sure if any of these places are still around….'

He took another sip of his soda while counting all the little dot on the ceiling tiles.

'It should be somewhere small….like last time. And I can't really go back to the same town either. 'They' knew I was there, so that would be pointless. Come to think of it, how I am going to get out of this city? Can't take Eva again…'

Shinji's mind was beginning to spin-cycle at this point; he had so much to think about with so little time.

'…Guess I'll have to walk….but NERV will find me in no time if I do that! And they'll block off every exit once I leave, no matter how I travel! Grrr………this is going to be much harder then I thought….'

Shinji shook his head from side to side and took a deep breath; what he really needed right now was focus. Therefore, he relaxed his head against the back of the couch and looked near the front of the room.

There were several cardboard boxes at the entrance. All neatly stacked as if someone was planning to move in…

These certainly were not Shinji's things; all the stuff that Shinji had was in that backpack he brought with him.

"Asuka…."

Finally he remembered. Misato said that she was having Asuka's stuff being brought in. Apparently, Shinji must have slept later then he thought. He sat up from the couch and stalked towards the boxes.

"Asuka," Shinji eyed the boxes cruelly. All the stuff that was in these boxes were just terrible reminders of his past life with that girl; and since she left without hesitation, then she would no longer be needing these items……she was on her own from now on….Shinji wasn't going to be responsible for her personal belongings.

Angry words echoed in his mind:

'you're worthless Shinji. You don't even love yourself. Worm. Worthless. Nothing. You will never change you spineless baka…..never change…..'

The words took on the voice of Asuka, angering Shinji even more. These were just the terrible memories he had of Auska, coming back to him at the sight of these cardboard momentos. In response, he violently tore open the tape on the nearest box and flung open the sides rapidly.

On top was a small handwritten note:

_Asuka,_

_These are all the belongings we could collect from the apartment in Tokyo-2. Nothing was left behind I'm sure. I hope these packages remain undamaged by the time it reaches you, or else there will some Hell to pay…_

_Misato._

P.S. play it safe with Shinji, Asuka…hee hee… 

Shinji smirked darkly and chuckled; the irony of that last statement was enough to make him throw up. He crumpled up the letter and threw it against the other side of the room, landing on the couch.

He then scavenged the box for anything that he might find useful; some money, jewelry, etc. Anything that could help him get by. But to his dismay, all that was in this box was clothes. Clothes, clothes, clothes.

"Doesn't that wench have enough to wear?"

He pushed the box aside and reached for the next one. He opened the box in the previous fashion, and looked around for any goods. Once again, there was nothing here but clothes, clothes, clot-

Something caught his eye. It was a hint of gold.

He reached for the valuable piece of metal and pulled it from the endless sea of fabric. Unfortunately, the gold wasn't real; it was just a coating used for a locket on a generic red diary…..

"a diary?," Shinji's eyes scanned the booklet with curiosity. He never knew that Asuka carried a diary, nor did he believe that she was compassionate enough to write in one. It mustn't be that private either, seeing as the lock was broken and could easily be penetrated by any intruder.

Shinji, being one who wouldn't hold back in his current state of mind, flung the diary open with no conscience. He flipped through the pages one by one and scanned everything to the finest detail.

"These are nothing but blank pages," It was true. The diary was not even written in for the first thirty or forty pages. It appears that Asuka really did have no passionate emotions to record. Shinji was right in guessing that she was completely cold-hearted….

He found an entry. It was small…..but it was better then nothing.

December 2 

_My first day as a true Evangelion pilot. Kaji brought me aboard a naval aircraft carrier where we would await the arrival of the Japanese NERV members (including Misato). When they arrived, I was surprised to see that Kaji knew Misato. Though she really is no match for me…no threat at all. Kaji will forever be mine._

_There was a boy there too. Kind of scrawny, and is about as stupid as he looks. His friends are about the same way too, only dumber. But the first is apparently an Eva pilot, though it looks like they really were desperate when choosing their candidates…_

Shinji scoffed at the entry in disgust. Nothing new under the sun; just the same old Asuka as usual. He flipped the pages and found another entry, dated several days after that.

_December 6_

_I don't believe it! Misato actually expects ME to spent my every waking moment with this…this…baka! It wasn't my fault that this baka threw me off during the battle! And now as punishment, we are forced to stay together! Sick bastards…we're teenaged, and yet they force us to share one room together!  
_

_Mein gott, what where they thinking?! Don't they realize that this boy is nothing more then a whiny, insecure kid?! Do they really expect me to believe that this boy is the famous Third Child?! _

_I really hate that baka…_

Shinji shrugged. Nothing new to read in this entry either; the same bitchy Asuka. He flipped to the next entry (apparently, Asuka knew that the latch was broken and decided to hide her entries deeper inside of the book.)

_December 10_

…_I was wrong about Shinji…_

Shinji's eyes widened for a second and he dropped the book on impulse. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating and picked up the book again. He reread the entry.

_December 10_

…_I was wrong about Shinji…_

_Yesterday, he did something that was actually…very brave. It was my mission to recover an Angel egg from an active volcano, which turned out to be not as thrilling as I imagined. I still shudder at the size of that plug suit…_

_Anyway, I did manage to capture the egg successfully, but it surprised us all by hatching too early. The Angel attacked me from all sides, and knocked my prog knife away. I defeated the monster nonetheless, thanks to Shinji's prog knife. But…I was afraid that it was too late for me. Instead of ascending to the top of the Lava pool, I only sunk…faster and faster and faster. I thought it was the end…_

_Until he saved me. I couldn't believe it at the time… but that Baka, the one I called spineless and weak, saved my life without hesitation. He really is…the famous Third Child._

_Why? Why did he save ME? I realize that I was very unkind to him in the past…so why did he go out of his way to save me?_

…_I have to find out…but I can't ask him. He would think there is something wrong with me…_

"no…..no….I wouldn't," Shinji spoke slowly and softly, as if he were speaking to her in the pages. He quickly turned the next page in hopes of finding another entry. He found one a few pages later, dated a couple of months after the volcano incident.

_February 10_

_It has been several months since I first came to Tokyo-3, and I' am still unable to ask why Shinji saved me that day…_

_But…I don't know why. Sometimes, whenever I look at him, I feel warm inside; and when I see his eyes, they tell that everything is going to be just fine. But when I look at him other times…I feel angry. Angry at him for being a better pilot than me. Therefore, I can't show him that I am interested in his well-being; the sudden change of my emotions might frighten him as much as they do to me._

_I just treat him like I normally do…though that is not how I always feel. And that is why I cannot discover the truth behind his saving me. I tried to repay the favor by supporting him in battle a few weeks after the volcano, but it wasn't that much of a reward…and…I don't know how I could possibly help him.._

_That's it. There is no turning back; I have to find out the truth this instant. The truth of why he saved me._

_I have a feeling that when I do ask…there won't be an easy answer…for the both of us._

Shinji thought hard over this last statement. He couldn't recall ever discussing such a thing with Asuka, nor did he ever realize that this was bothering her for so long. He flipped to next page; this entry was dated for the next day…

_February 11_

_He's gone…my Shinji is gone…_

_I feel…empty…_

Those were the only words in that entry. Something big must have happened that day…though the memory escaped Shinji...

'….February 11…that was around the time when that one Angel swallowed me she be thinking of the same incident?'

That seemed like the most logical explanation, though the sorrowful words in this entry were a bit unlike Asuka. The page was even stained with…what appeared to be tears.

Shinji felt a small warm sensation inside his heart; someone actually cared…that he was gone.

He smiled softly and turned page to the next entry.

_February 15_

_He's back. Shinji…MY Shinji…was finally rescued from that_ _awful shadow. I don't how they did it, all I know is that he's back within my reach now. _

_I still can't believe it; it must be…it HAS to be a miracle. Not only a miracle, but a second chance to get closer to him…I can't blow it this time…if I don't do it now, I may never get another chance. But it has to be subtle; everything has to planned._

_I can't let him know that I…love him._

Shinji's heart skipped a beat when he read those words. He continued reading the following entries, completely compelled by the strong attraction to her words.

The next entry was dated three weeks later.

_March 3_

…_Hikari asked me to go out with this one guy she knew. She must figure that I'm lonely or something. Of course I can never be lonely, as long as I have Shinji near me._

_I accepted. I figure this would be the perfect opportunity to see if Shinji does have any feelings for me; try to get him jealous. If that doesn't work, then I have no choice…_

_I'm going to have to kiss him. That is the only way to know for sure…whether my feelings for him are real, and if he has any for me._

Shinji gulped slightly, seeing what was going to happen next.

_March 4_

…_I did it. I can't believe it_ _myself, but I finally got a hold of Shinji and gave him something he will never forget._

_Of course, I did plug his nose the whole time…but what could I do? His breath was too ticklish…_

_The point is, I finally found out what I needed to know about my feelings. They ARE authentic…true love at last…I know it is!_

_As for Shinji…I…can't tell…_

Shinji shuddered slightly. This happened every time the thoughts of that kiss came back to him. It was one of his first kisses, and it ended up being the most frightening moment of his life…

Shaking his head, he continued to the next entry. This one was odder then the others. No date was posted…and the handwriting seemed…shaky.

…_I can't go near him…not anymore…_

_Mama…_

Shinji raised an eyebrow. This was weird; and Shinji could only guess that this was written around the time of Asuka's incident with the angel in the upper atmosphere. Since the writing was so short and erratic…Auska must have been in a lot of pain at the time.

Shinji turned the page. It wasn't dated, but the handwriting matched the previous pages.

_..Help me Shinji…help…please…_

Shinji gasped slightly. It was strange; at that moment, he swore that he could hear Asuka shouting those words out to him…a cry for help.

Shinji turned the page, but to his dismay there was no entry. Frantically, he turned every page hoping to find some more of Asuka's words.

…nothing. He turned the pages back to the final entry, and held the book lightly in his lap.

…_Help me Shinji…help…please…_

He started sobbing, and soon tears fell from his eyes; soaking the book in the process. For some strange reason, he actually felt…pity. Pity for Asuka, the girl he thought he loathed and accused of being cold-hearted.

But more ever, he felt regret for not being there when Asuka needed him the most. And now, there was nothing he could about it. Asuka was gone from his life, and never coming back. His sobbing became more spastic as warm tears poured down his face.

'Why am I crying? Why do I suddenly wish to see her again? All she did was hurt me…'

But Shinji knew damn well that that wasn't the truth. True, she was rather annoying…but she still took notice of him. And she did treat him differently from other people she interacted with. She had to have felt something for Shinji…and she did. The diary told him everything he wanted to know.

…Unfortunately, it still came all too late. He had his chance, and there was no turning back. He would never be able to find Asuka…and if he did, she wouldn't want to talk to a pitiful man like him…

For the first time in his life, Shinji felt true inner pain. Not the petty kind he would feel when moping, but the kind that is felt when something important is lost.

But there was nothing he could do about it. All he could do was cry, nothing more.

* * *

Setting: earlier that morning. 

"hm?"

It was a typical Sunday morning; a nice brisk morning, where a long stroll through the park seemed more than necessary. Everyone was doing it nowadays, ever since Tokyo-3 was rebuilt. And it was no different for this middle-aged gentleman, who happened to find the park as his source of tranquility. He came here almost every morning after all.

He was a fairly handsome man, though age has done a small toll on him. His hair was purple and his eyes shined brightly against the bright sunrise. He seemed like the type who liked to care for children, or maybe a significant other at the very least. Though that was the belief, this man was surprisingly unmarried, and currently uninterested in a proper love interest.

No. He was just an ordinary man who hoped to find his happiness someday, and so far no luck has come to him. But he really wasn't the type to get down about it; instead, he would just lift himself from his feet and carry himself onward into the light of another day. Someday…a sign would reveal itself and direct him down the path he needs to go.

…..but never would he believe that such a sign would come from a homeless girl sleeping on a park bench.

'hm?' He repeated after confirming that the person curled up tightly was indeed alive and human. He was lucky to spot her actually; it was still sunrise, and she seemed perfectly camouflaged within that coat of hers. It wasn't her appearance that gave her away, it was the consistent mumbling in her sleep that did it.

Reluctantly, he walked over to the restless girl.

"um….Shinji…please…..help me……"

He stopped in his tracks suddenly, in fear that his loud walking my have caused her to stir. Luckily, she was still fast asleep; but she was still whispering about…something.

The man continued forward.

"leave me alone baka…I….I …hate….."

the man stopped again. He was almost certain that she was talking to him, because her voice was a little louder and distinct. But regardless of that, she kept her eyes closed; she was still sleeping.

The man reached out an arm and shook her gently on the shoulder.

"Shinji….don't leave me…….I hate you…I don't need anybody…especially an idiot like him…..Shinji…help.."

He shook her a little harder, but that didn't seem to work either. This time, he needed to try something a little different; like actually talking to her.

"Excuse young lady, but are you-"

"LEAVE ME ALONE BAKA HENTAI!" The young girl jumped up and began flailing her arms at the intruder. The frightened man jumped away instantly and began talking the girl the down calmly.

"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down….I' am not going hurt you….calm down…."

The young lady's eyes opened, and her breathing became less and less hyperactive. She looked at her surroundings and slowly began to realize where see was.

"..the Park." The girl sat back against the park bench and slowly attempted to remember the events of last night.

"Yes, that's right. And why exactly are you sleeping here?' The young man was quick to ask her, seeing as she was finally coherent enough to deal with.

"….I don't remem-," Asuka stopped in mid-sentence as dark memories slowly began to emerge. She could see the dining room…..the dinner Shinji prepared…..Shinji, smiling at her genuinely…herself, talking energetically…..a turned over table….Shinji on the ground, battered by the contents of the table….Asuka, looking down at him with uncontrollable rage….she left the room, with Shinji burnt and wounded.

"Baka…" Was the only word she whispers.

The man turned his head and looked at with peculiarity, "baka? who?"

Asuka snapped from her light daze and giggled slightly, "no one important. Just some….boy I know. Or 'knew' anyway."

"a boy you knew huh? Did he die or something?"

Asuka shook her head, "No, he's just nothing more than a big liar. I can't live with someone like that"

She turned her head and faced the man, "And why are you asking?"

The man chuckled weakly and nodded, "I'm sorry; I was just curious on why such a young lady like you is out here in on a freezing morning like this."

"oh. I see…" Asuka said with a slight blush, "well then, I should at least give you my name first. My name is-"

"It's Asuka, right? Asuka Langley?" The man asked nonchalantly.

Asuka looked at him with astonishment. "That's right. How did you know?"

"sigh….clearly, no one remembers who there own doctor is…."

Asuka could only draw a blank. She did not recognize this man.

"Alright then, I'll tell you. My name is Heoken Noeseke. It took a little while to figure it out, but you were once a patient in the hospital here around six years ago. I was pretty sure I knew your name, since I rarely forget a patient." He explained while taking a seat next to her.

Asuka knocked herself on the head, " that's right! Your that man that was with Shinji in the hospital!"

"Shinji? So it that the big liar?" Heoken asked teasingly.

Asuka stuck her nose in the air, "hmph. I really don't want to talk about him right now. He's nothing but a spineless baka anyway…completely useless…."

"I see…" The man spoke with a slight degree of curiosity.

"Are you still a doctor Mr. Noseke?" Asuka asked in hopes of changing the subject.

"No, not anymore. I quit doing that about 4 years ago," Heoken stated promptly.

"Why?"

"Well this may sound crass, but I suppose that it is because I didn't enjoy doing it. It was all about work and money apparently; not about the people you treated. I tried to believe that I was doing it to save lives, but I found no such joy. So I just quit, end of story." Heoken explained.

"What do you plan on doing now?"

"Well…I'm not really sure. I do know that I like to help people, but the problem is that I don't know how. But I will find out, someday. Hopefully someday soon." Heoken added with a chuckle.

Asuka nodded with understanding and smiled weakly. Heoken looked over at her and studied her condition. She seemed very fatigued, and especially cold. This was no place for a girl her age to be in the early morning…

"You look like you can some use some food. Care to come with me?" Heoken asked bluntly.

Asuka looked at him with suspicion, "Don't get any funny ideas…I still don't trust you…."

Heoken took the hint, though the 'ideas' she was talking about never really crossed his mind in the first place.

"Look at me Asuka. I have to be at least 15 years older then you, I wouldn't even dream of such an idea. And you can easily beat down a man like me anyway…..believe it or not, I am incredibly feeble."

Asuka looked at him and saw sincerity and truth in face. He really wasn't lying; and if he was, then he would to face a very uncomfortable death from Asuka herself.

"Alright. I'll come…..food sounds pretty nice right about now…"

Heoken smiled again and lifted himself off the park bench. He brushed off his jacket and turned towards Asuka.

"Alright then. Follow me."

* * *

"Shinji! Asuka! I'm here!" 

A jovial Misato opened up the door to the silent apartment and peeked inside. At first, she was expecting to see a couple of signs of life around here, but there was no such life around. In fact, not a single light in the house was on. And the room was absolutely freezing, meaning that the thermostat has been touched in some time. This worried Misato at first; Shinji and Asuka may have once again abandoned their home to live life elsewhere…

But she dismissed that idea instantly. They had no reason to leave now, especially in this time of crisis. Besides, they couldn't leave town even if they wanted to; the roads were blocked off by the authorities, and were only opened during a large-scale attack. No one would be let out or into the city until further notice.

So escape really wasn't an option to anyone at this point, especially to the two occupants of this home. Misato took off her shoes and walked inside the empty apartment. She looked in the kitchen and found signs of struggle: an overturned table, silverware and food on the floor, chairs turned over, etc.

Misato panicked and turned on the kitchen light. She bent down and investigated the cold floor carefully; there were no signs of blood….the only stains were those caused by the food that cascaded downward when the table was overturned. That mean that either this struggle wasn't that intense, or someone may have gotten a hold of both Shinji and Asuka…

Misato really wished that she put surveillance on this building now. She walked around and began turning on all the lights, seeing if there was anything else out of the ordinary. And hopefully, she could find some sort of clue that would explain their disappearances…

"Shinji?! Asuka!? Is there someone in here?" Misato called out with worry. She would never forgive herself if something happened to either one of them.

She stepped into the living room and flicked on the lights. Her eyes widened with joy.

"Shinji!"

There he was, Shinji on the couch with his head facing the ground. Oddly enough, he didn't answer her when she called. He held a book in his hand, but was no longer looking at it. He stood perfectly still….like a statue in the park would.

Misato took a few steps and stopped a couple a feet across from Shinji. She looked at the ground to see what Shinji was looking at; there was nothing…apart from the dark stains on the ground. But they weren't bloodstains in the least. They appeared to be tears….

"Shinji…what's going here? Where's Asuka?" Misato asked worriedly. Something bad must have happened to Asuka….she could feel it…

"..She's gone. She left last night, " Shinji stated with absolutely no emotion in his voice.

"Gone?! Where did she go to Shinji?!" Misato shouted.

Shinji stared at the ground and didn't say a word, as if he didn't hear her.

"Where did she go Shinji?! Answer me!" Misato demanded. She was too worried to be playing pity games with Shinji.

"…I don't know Misato. We had a fight and she left. She hasn't been back since." Shinji said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Misato looked back at the mess in the kitchen, "Is that what happened in there?"

Shinji raised his head and nodded. His face was stained with tears, like he had been crying for hours. Misato sighed and took a seat adjacent to Shinji. She felt relieved that her children weren't hurt, but she was disappointed in them.

"Shinji….what am I going to do about you too? I thought you worked things out…"

Shinji nodded again, "I thought so too Misato, but something went wrong. Asuka….she still treats me the same way…..she still calls me baka and abuses me; it's like she hasn't grown up at all. Nothing has changed…"

Misato looked at him oddly, "so she treats the exact same way as she did six years ago?"

Shinji thought that over for second as thoughts about his intimate moments with Asuka went through his mind.

"…No, I guess not. But Misato, she still does call me baka….all the time. And when I told her to stop it, it eventually lead to _this_," Shinji stated while gesturing towards the kitchen.

Misato sighed again, " Shinji, are you really so fragile? Haven't you grown up enough to realize that she was joking….no…_flirting_ with you? You are the only one she calls baka after all."

Shinji didn't realize that at the time. Asuka did tell him that 'baka' was his pet name; nonetheless, that didn't stop him from retorting.

"Still…those words hurt…."

Misato was finished yet, " then has it ever occurred to you that you haven't changed that much either? You used to act this way whenever something bad happened."

"………Yeah…..I know that…..but…I don't know what to do about it…."

" It's simple Shinji, just accept the fact that you haven't changed and move on. You don't have to be this way if you don't want to. you can learn to be more accepting of Asuka's displays of affection for starters.."

"Displays of affection? Misato, she practically abuses me!" Shinji replied.

"Well then you don't have to be with her Shinji! You always have that choice! If you don't love her, then don't stay with her! It's perfectly logical." Misato added, though she herself wasn't too fond of the idea.

"That's actually what I thought at first…until I read this." Shinji handed the diary to Misato, who took it with reluctance.

"….Is this Asuka's diary?" Misato asked, looking at the red book with the gold lock.

"Yeah…I'm sorry that I read it, but I wasn't myself at the time…I was still angry with Asuka…" Shinji exclaimed guiltily.

Misato opened up the booklet easily and scanned the pages. They both remained quiet as Misato read the entries carefully and considerably. By the look on her face, she seemed as surprised as Shinji was with these entries. After about ten minutes, she closed the book promptly and looked over that Shinji and smiled.

"These…are all about you Shinji."

He smiled back and nodded, " Yeah…"

Misato couldn't help but keep on smiling, " don't you understand Shinji? She couldn't help but think about you, even in her darkest moment. She loves you Shinji….she loved you for so long…"

His face saddened, " I know she does. And I'm glad I know that now but…it's too late. There's no way that she would to be with me now. And that's probably for the best anyway…"

Misato almost slapped the boy, "Shinji, what are saying?! Go find her! If she truly does love you, then you have nothing to fear. Why are letting a petty fight you had a few hours ago get in your way?!"

"Because she still hurts me! That's why it's too late! How can I live with someone who treats me like that?" Shinji added stubbornly.

"….That's something you have to talk about with her. Listen, I have a feeling that Asuka has some of her own problems to work out right now. I'm sure that that is the real reason why she left. Once you find her, I'm certain that she will be more understanding."

Shinji didn't say anything.

"Listen….she doesn't hate you Shinji. And apparently, she never did hate you; she just has a hard time expressing herself, like you. But unlike you, she expresses her romantic feelings by insulting you. After all, you are the only one she calls 'baka'. To her, it seems like the only way to get your attention."

Shinji still didn't want speak.

"….Like I said Shinji, you can still change. You can stop taking her light insults seriously, and learn to accept them as her way of showing affection. As for the abuse….tell her that you don't like it. Simple as that. If she truly loves you (and I am certain she does), then she will understand."

Shinji didn't answer. Instead…..he smiled.

"Shinji?"

"Ok Misato, I understand now. I….I do love her. And I want to continue being with her. If that is the price to pay, then I'll take it. I'll change for the better."

"….Thank you Shinji. Asuka and _myself_ will both be proud of you. Now go out there and find her fast. It's starting to snow."

Shinji looked out the window and saw bright white snowflakes falling against the glowing twilight. It was starting to get dark outside as well.

Shinji grabbed his coat and darted for the door. He opened the entrance as a cold chill filled the room.

"Misato?"

Misato turned her head away from the diary and looked at Shinji, "yes?"

"….thank you."

He smiled at her and walked through the entrance, shutting the door behind him. Misato smiled back at the empty hallway and looked down at the diary. She flipped the pages with her thumb and glanced at the entries as they sped by.

"…Love at first sight. It is possible…."

* * *

Setting: Late that evening 

"How does ramen sound?"

Asuka gave the man a disgusted look. She really didn't feel like eating ramen right now; after all, that was the primary meal of choice during her little adventure with the Evangelion.

"ugh! I'm sick of ramen…do have anything else? Oh! Do you happen to have curry instead?"

Heoken nodded in response and headed to the kitchen to prepare their meals. His apartment was about the same size of Asuka's back in Tokyo-2; it wasn't too tidy either….typical for a male's apartment. However, it was very warm and at least she could get some food.

Heoken and herself were out all day window-shopping around Tokyo-3, in hopes of taking her mind off of current events. It was all her idea, though Heoken was willing to go with it (seeing as he had no choice). They went out to a small restaurant where Asuka enjoyed a delicious meal, then they arrived back to his apartment later that evening. She got no shopping done whatsoever, but at least it took her mind off of things.

Asuka took her seat at a nearby couch, the only one in the whole apartment to be honest. It was actually very fortunate that this apartment reminded her so much of hers. It made it easier for her to get comfortable; and if she stayed here, she would have a reminder of the good old days back in Tokyo-2.

She laid back against the couch as she contently remembered her first day on the job. She smiled as she remembered the time when she first found her apartment. Soon a whole foray of memories bombarded her all at once…..the shopping mall…..her few friends from the restaurant….the kind customers…..the everlasting rain…..someone else there….a boy….a boy whom she loved…..Shinji….

Asuka gasped and clutched her head, as if she were in some serious pain. She made a mistake coming here; it only reminded of the one person she had been desperately trying to forget. And now, she felt her mind overflow with all the memories she had once shared with that…Baka…

'urgh! I can't even call someone an idiot without thinking about him!'

Heoken stepped into the room, noticing that something odd was happening with his guest. She was sitting on the couch; bent over and clutching her head as if she was experiencing the world's worst migraine.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Asuka stopped clutching her head and looked up at the worried Heoken. She managed to push away those recollections…for now.

"Yeah, I'm okay," She remarked while putting on a feign smile.

Heoken wasn't convinced. Something was seriously bothering this girl; he noticed it ever since he found her on the park bench. And it didn't take a genius to figure out that it had something to with that boy Shinji.

He took a seat on the floor across from Asuka and spoke carefully.

"Listen, I only met this Shinji boy once, and from my point of view he seems like a really nice guy. He doesn't look like the type to make stupid mistakes often."

Asuka chuckled. This guy couldn't be more wrong about Shinji.

"Then you don't anything about him. He is an idiot, and he does make mistakes all the time. Those are the only things he's ever good at."

Heoken nodded in understanding, "I see. But I'm sure that he has some good points; you know…those rare moments when he doesn't make mistakes?"

Asuka scoffed. Everything he seems to do right always goes awry in the end. Like when he brought her back to this city, for example. But she decided to humor her host, and thought hard about any time when Shinji wasn't a total idiot.

After a few minutes, she shook her head in defeat. Asuka could not find a single good thing about Shinji.

"Come on…there has to be a time when he did something honorable. If not, then how did you fall in love with him in the first place?" He exclaimed.

He was right. There had be some impressive qualities to Shinji. She certainly would never fall in love with a _completely_ submissive boy. There was definitely something more to Shinji, and only one question came to mind.

'When did I first fall in love?'

Asuka thought these words over, triggering a sequential display of images in her mind. First, she saw Kaji; the man she gotten to become quite attached to. Though, she only really did it to prove that she wasn't a child; so, in the strictest sense, she was really only using him.

Then she saw images of when she first met Shinji aboard the 'Over the Rainbow'. She remembered how weak he looked compared to her, and how he would always appear to be uncomfortable with everything. His expression was always the same: innocent, dumb, and uncertain. That's it. She couldn't believe that he really was the Third Child at first, so she had to rival him to be certain. And if he was, then she had to prove that she was better than some famous child.

That attitude got her a one-way ticket to Misato's apartment, where she was required to spend her time with Shinji. One would think that spending time with another would expose all their good qualities, but they are sadly mistaken. True, he made good company when she was absolutely desperate; but besides that, she found nothing.

Then another image appeared in her head: the volcano. The only time in her young life where she stared at death straight in the eyes and nearly lost her life. It was also the only time that she was ever truly afraid; and the first time she wished that someone was there to help her….

"Shinji…."

That's right. It was Shinji who rescued her from the volcano. He reached his hands into the burning magma and grasped Asuka tightly; another second later, and she would have been toast. Asuka remembered looking into his eyes then…and she didn't see that usual innocent, dumb, and uncertain look. Instead, she saw the eyes of a courageous young man, saving a young lady in distress. It was then that she realized that he really was the famous third child…..and a hero. That was when she fell in love.

"hm? Did you find something?"

Asuka remained silent for a second, and nodded.

"I remember that he was really courageous sometimes. It was very impressive…."

"heh. See? He does have his good points. So then why all the fuss? Why don't you openly love him for good traits anymore?"

Asuka took a deep breath. She truly didn't have a straight answer to that question.

"Well whenever he did something amazing, I tend to get…jealous. I thought that I was better, and that I should be the amazing one."

"I see…so, you're saying that you don't love him because he makes you jealous?"

"yeah. That's about it," Asuka replied, "he didn't deserve to be amazing and famous when all he really did was mope and sulk. He's just a spineless idiot who happens to get lucky."

"Man. if jealousy destroys the love all around the world, then we would all be cold and lonely. You see Asuka, jealousy is something that cannot be helped. Everyone is born with it, and everyone dies with it. The only thing we can do is control it to a point where we aren't affected by it. So to me, it sounds like the problem is you."

Asuka's face tweaked with anger, "WHAT?! Are you saying that it's _my_ fault that I hate him? "

Heoken shrugged, "Of course. It was your choice to hate him, not his."

" Well then let me tell you something idiot! I wouldn't hate Shinji so much if he weren't so weak and passive! If he were more courageous, then things would still be the way they are."

"But then wouldn't you get jealous? Wouldn't you hate him even more?" Heoken added.

"Well……I……." Asuka stuttered and ended up with no response. He was right once again; her jealousy would only get in the way of the truth. The truth being that Shinji is truly a nice guy and that he deserves to be loved as much as anyone else did. Sadly, her jealousy contained that love for Shinji, and the only person he saw was the annoying, competitive Asuka.

But didn't she tried to get rid of that jealousy once before? A few weeks ago, she met Shinji for the first time in six years. He tried to get closer, but she drove him out; and that very night…she had a revelation. She decided to change herself so that she could be closer to Shinji, and it worked. She became a new person and received true happiness in return.

But happened to that Asuka now?

She spoke quietly, "…I thought I changed. Really, I did. I wanted to be a different person for Shinji, and I thought it worked. Heh….it looks like it didn't. After I learned that he was still weak-hearted, I just went back to being my jealous old self….as if nothing has changed…"

Heoken smiled in agreement.

"That makes sense. And you did the right thing, attempting to change for the person you love. But then you realized that he hasn't changed that much either (though he's tried), meaning that he is not so loving as thought." Heoken took it all in carefully.

Asuka nodded.

"You can still do something about it, you know. You can still change, and that will make him want to change too. As a great man once said: 'your ticket to the future…is always blank.' ," Heoken explained.

Asuka looked at him oddly, "so that's what I should do? Learn from my mistake, and attempt to change again?

"That is exactly what you should do. Don't give on a relationship so easily," Heoken stated, "if you truly love him, then don't let jealousy get in the way. Control it before it controls you."

It sounded simple; too simple for Asuka to believe.

"But that's not realistic. Sure, I can learn to be less jealous, but what about Shinji? What if he doesn't change and continues to be the whiny baka he has always been?"

Heoken put a hand on his chin and thought this over seriously. After a few seconds, he gave her a clever smile and replied.

"If he doesn't learn to change, then he clearly doesn't take this relationship seriously. But if he is willing to bite the bullet and become just a little more assertive, then I would have to say that he truly does care about you….deeply."

Asuka smiled. Those words touched her heart big time. At one point in time, Shinji was more assertive and dependable; meaning that he did truly care for her then. But what about now? Does he still hate her? She really couldn't blame him for not wanting to see her anymore, but she had to talk to him and show him that she was capable of becoming more loving….truly loving. And if he still loves her…then he will believe in her.

Trust is what truly matters.

"Thank you, Mr. Heoken. I know what I have to do now."

Heoken chuckled slightly and stood up off the floor.

"Your welcome. I trust that you don't want any curry then…"

"Yeah…sorry, to make you go to the trouble. Can I ask you a question though?" Asuka said as she stood up to her feet as well.

"What is it?"

"Well….I was just wondering why were so willing to help me. No offense, but you still are a stranger to me…and yet you were kind enough to take me in. Why?"

Heoken rubbed the back of his neck and looked to the ground.

"I told you. I like to help people…."

Asuka smiled. She approached the embarrassed man and gave him a pat on the shoulder. He looked at her oddly as she walking to the door and grabbed her coat.

"You'd make a great counselor someday, Mr. Noseke."

Heoken didn't say a word; instead, he put a hand to his chin and pondered. Asuka waited a few seconds for a response but got none.

"Thanks for the hospitality Mr. Heoken. I'll see you around!" Asuka added impatiently as she shut the door behind her.

In the meantime, Heoken just stood in the living and continued thinking over the words that the young girl had gave him. For some reason, he took special consideration to them.

"Counselor…..hmm….."

* * *

It was beginning to snow in the city of Tokyo-3. A strange phenomenon for this area, considering that the city itself has lived in a never-ending summer since the Second Impact. Therefore, the citizens were all glad to see a slight change in the weather; even it was cold and dry. They just couldn't help but admire the beauty of the snowflakes falling against the lights of nighttime Tokyo-3. 

A lone figure was seen sprinting down the almost empty streets. It was getting late, meaning that most people have already decided to leave the cold atmosphere in order to receive some well deserved rest. But not this person; he still had a goal to complete before calling it quits. It was a goal that would probably leave him restless for days on end, if his luck should be bad.

This boy's mission was to apologize to the only girl he has ever loved; or loves, to be more proper. He realized that he has made a mistake, and now he was willing to face even the bitter cold in order to find this special person. Alas, it was true love.

Meanwhile on the other side of the city, another strange figure was spotted running down the icy streets as well. Yet unlike the other, this figure was distinctly feminine; with long, bright-red hair and a lovely face to boot. She was a heartthrob to most of the boys who had once been acquainted to her, and she still was to many others. No one would even guess that this young lady was searching for a boy of her own; a boy who didn't appear to be one who would steal the hearts of beautiful women.

Indeed, this girl was searching for the boy on the opposite side of town, and she was willing to do whatever possible in order to figure out if his feelings for her were real. She was equally relentless as her significant other, and just as loving. The fight between them was meaningless and petty, yet they found themselves hating one another as a result. Fortunately, they both realized the error of their mistakes and were both willing to make for them. They still had their 'blank tickets' to the future on hand.

Things looked good for this couple; that is….if they ever do find one another in this bright yet empty streets.

There was another here. A man who, despite his dirty appearance and lack of decent clothing, was actually kind-hearted to the people who looked down upon him. Yet he had no love for anyone, since no one had any love for him. He was a derelict after all; a man of the streets, bound to a lifetime of poverty and loneliness (properties that he did not mind having). No one would know about what character this man had, and what he could have became if fate had dealt him a decent hand. A tragic tale for a money based world.

But if this poor man was uncaring about his current situation, then why did he so persistently stalk the lone boy down the street?

Shinji didn't even notice that dark figure that chased him down the street-lit sidewalks; all Shinji really cared about was getting to Asuka, by any means possible. She was the only person he could think about right now, and nothing else seemed to matter. Not even the safety of his own life.

Yet the same thought kept on striking his mind: Where on Earth could she possibly be?

Shinji had no real leads; his best guess would be that she was at the park, since that was where she used to go when she felt a need for privacy. Since Hikari hasn't even made it into the plot yet, there was no way that Asuka could be at her place. Shinji also severely doubted that she would be desperate enough to search for Toji (in fact, she would much rather sleep in the park…).

Then again, there was the worse-case scenario: she could have been struck down by a mysterious stranger who wanted his way with her; then he would leave her for dead…or worse…..

The likelihood of that situation was not very possible, yet Shinji couldn't help but worry about it. He knew that Asuka was capable of handling herself, yet she couldn't stand a chance against someone who was, let's say, twice her weight in muscle. Therefore, he was encouraged to keep on moving forward, in hopes of finding her in the park somewhere. He had to find her…and tell (once again) that he was sorry….really sorry…

Shinji should be worrying for his own life as well…for that man chasing him in the darkness was not too far behind…

Asuka had just made it to the park. Heoken's place was only a few blocks away from this location, so it really didn't take her that long to reach it. Her plan was to head back to the apartment the way she came, since it really was the only way she knew how. Fortunately, she did know the way well enough to make it home without mishap. She would go inside, have a nice long talk with Shinji, and then rest peacefully in his arms (if everything should go well with them….).

She stood by the park bench where she once slept and began breathing rapidly. It really was too cold for running, since it's especially difficult to breath in cold weather. She had to catch her breath before running the rest of the way, which would be the real challenge. The apartment was still far away, and here she already had to take a rest.

She took a few more breaths and then began sprinting through the wooden park. She could feel her lungs burn with every breath she took, but she didn't care. Just the thought of being with Shinji was enough to make her push forward, even through all the pain and suffering.

She only wished for Shinji's acceptance; an ironic desire for this girl.

Asuka ran across the street and began jogging those long 9 blocks to the apartment.

Shinji turned the corner rapidly and ran across the empty street to the opposite side. The roads were slick, but he could handle a little ice. He ran straight down the sidewalk and turned the next corner; the park should only be 8-9 blocks away. It was good thing that his physical condition could handle rough air like this. He couldn't believe how fast he was running…

'Almost there…hold on Asuka! I need to find you…please be alive. Oh God…please be alive…'

One second later, Shinji felt his body fly straight into the cold dark air. His feet came into contact with a sheet of solid ice along the sidewalk.

'SHIT! Shouldn't have ran so fast…'

Shinji cringed his teeth and closed his eyes; he waited for his body to land on the ground; when it did, he could distinctly hear a loud cracking noise.

A few moments later, he opened his eyes and looked around him. He didn't feel any pain…apart from the slight soreness in his back. He sighed in relief and began lifting himself up with his arms, still determined to sprint the rest of the way to the park.

"OW! Damn it…"

Shinji dropped his arms to the ground and let his body plop on the cold sidewalk. He did something serious to his back. He couldn't even move it without hurting.

'Oh man, oh man, oh man…what do I do now? I can't move and there isn't anyone in sight….'

Shinji couldn't be more wrong. There were at least two people out on the streets nearby: the determined Asuka, and the dangerous derelict approaching Shinji slowly from behind.

Now was the man's chance to kill this boy once and for all. He followed Shinji this whole time in hopes of catching him off guard. Once that window opens, he would kill the boy in one swift blow, then he would go after the other one….the girl….

His motives are unknown, but his capability of killing is strong. Shinji was like a wounded deer being chased by the vicious wolf; he was in the palm of the derelict's hand. Therefore, the older man took his time and slowly walked towards the downed boy. He was less than 50 feet away, and would soon have his moment of murder…

Shinji could hear footsteps approaching him.

He called out eagerly to the approaching figure, "Hello?! Can you please help me?! Ow…"

There was no response, but the footsteps kept getting closer. It was as if this man (or woman) couldn't even hear his pleas for help.

Shinji shouted frantically again, "HELLO?! PLEASE, COULD YOU CALL AN AMBULANCE?!"

A few blocks away, Auska could hear some faint echoes coming her way. The voice was faint, but it was distinctly male. It sounded as if he were in some serious trouble. Asuka continued her course towards the source of the voice. Seeing as no one else was on the streets, she was the only one that could possibly help.

'hang in there….I'm coming…' Asuka repeated mentally.

The man was now only 15 feet away from the wounded Shinji; the time was almost at hand. Slowly, he reached into his back pocket and withdrew a rusty survival knife. It was way too useless for survival, but it would be strong enough (and long enough) to pierce straight through to the heart. The derelict took a steady hold of the knife as his eyes gleamed with passion and bloody rage.

Shinji could hear the footsteps getting even closer. He stopped calling out for help as he grew increasingly uneasy about the approaching shadow; indeed, there was something odd about this person….as if it were death himself, delivering a good case of impending doom. And all that Shinji could do was stare at the black sky….watching the snowflakes gently descend to the frozen Earth….

The footsteps grew louder with each second; Shinji could feel his heartbeat pace faster and faster with anxiousness. Then the footsteps stopped dead in their steps. Shinji waited for something to happen, but nothing came…

Then a hooded figure loomed over Shinji's head, holding a large icy blade in one hand. Death had came for him….in the form of a human being….

"w-who are you?" was all that Shinji could stutter out. He could feel the cold fear flow through his veins as he stared up into the vengeful eyes of the hooded man. The eyes were the only things he could see….

"……1…1…." This word dripped from this man's mouth like venom. It was enough to freeze the blood of even the bravest man. Nonetheless, the word didn't appear to have any meaning…

"what the hell?," Shinji whispered in confusion. Suddenly, the man placed one hand on Shinji's chest. It felt so cold that Shinji could feel shivers all the way up and down his injured spine.

With his other hand, the man extended the rusty knife as if prepared to thrust that thing straight into Shinji's heart. Shinji closed his eyes tightly, ready for whatever pain awaited him…

'the end?……already?…..but….I have to see Asuka again….'

The sound of a knife thrusting downward was heard.

'…NO! I won't go this easily! I love Asuka! I can't die without seeing her face one more time!'

The sound stopped. All was quiet for a few moments.

Shinji could feel a warm fluid flow across his chest. It smelled distinctly like blood. Slowly, Shinji opened his eyes to get one last look at this world before he would take his last breath.

'This is it….I'm sorry Asuka….I failed you, and now I lay here dying with regrets. I'm….I'm so-"

But he wasn't hurting at all. In fact, he wasn't even bleeding. The knife missed him by inches and landed next to his side.

'..I'm alright. But…what's that smell?' Shinji pondered. He looked up and stared horrifically as the derelict started leaking before his very eyes. A familiar yellow fluid pierced out of the man's flesh and trickled across Shinji's body. It wasn't blood that Shinji smelled; it was LCL.

Shinji used all his strength to push the body aside. It fell limply next to him, forming a puddle across the sidewalk and over the street. It was hard to believe how fast a body this size could melt…

Shinji turned his head away from it; is was too disgusting for any sane person to watch. The smell of the blood….the gargling and bubbling noises…they were all too gross.

A voice spoke out from the fleshy yellow mass. It was slightly garbled and barely a whisper.

'….he is bounded. Cannot….kill…'

Then the voice, along with the rest of body, disappeared into a deep yellow puddle. Shinji stared at the liquid, and then looked up at the sky. The snow was still falling, but this time, Shinji took the time to enjoy it. His life was spared…

But the killer's words dumbfounded Shinji. What did he mean by bounding?

'cannot kill bounded people? What does that mean?'

Asuka zipped around the corner and frantically searched for the source of the voice. She tried to follow it as hard as she could, but it stopped shortly after. She put her hands on both sides of her mouth and shouted out.

"HELLO? ANYONE?"

Shinji ears rang like a bell. That voice….that beautiful voice….was pure ecstasy for his battered soul. It was her…the familiar red-head German he had come to know and love….

"ASUKA!"

Asuka's heart nearly jumped out of her chest. That familiar voice that called out to her….it couldn't possibly be him….

Asuka turned instantly turned to the apparent location of the voice and spotted an isolated figure laying on the ground.

"SHINJI!" Auska called out with a mix of happiness and horror; happiness for having seen him again, and horror for the fact that he appeared injured. By impulse, she darted over to the poor boy.

"careful Asuka! Watch for the ice!" Shinji shouted in hopes that she wouldn't repeat his fatal mistake.

Asuka stopped abruptly at Shinji's command and began walking slowly towards him. She dropped next to him and gleamed brightly at the boy's face.

"Shinji….I'm so happy that I found you…" Asuka replied ecstatically. She clutched Shinji by the shoulders and pulled him near her; She wrapped her arms tightly around his back and squeezed him like an overstuffed teddy bear.

"I'm so happy…" Asuka repeated.

"Asuka….my back…" Shinji muttered out from the warm embrace.

"hm?….Oh! Sorry…."

Asuka released her clamp on Shinji and laid him gently across her knees. She stroked his hair as warm tears of joy trickled down his face. Shinji rested against her legs as he looked up at her beautiful smile.

"Is it just your back that hurts? Nothing else?"

Shinji nodded, " I was running too fast on the ice, and I slid. I can't move though…"

Asuka remembered the time when Shinji saved her from falling. It was back in Tokyo-2; when he first came back for her. She ran off without a simple goodbye, and nearly plummeted to her own fate. Luckily, Shinji was there to catch her. But that wasn't the case this time. She was too late to help him…and now as a consequence, his back was out of commission.

Asuka became overwhelmed by the guilt of that memory, but casually pushed it aside. She wasn't going to let past experiences ruin her future. Instead, she looked over at the odd yellow puddle next to Shinji. One thing was for sure…it smelled like blood…

"What happened here?" Asuka questioned anxiously.

Shinji was prepared to tell her everything, but he was just too tired too…and her legs were so soft and comfortable; He didn't want to do anything but fall asleep upon her. He simply shook his head and smiled at her.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you all about it later…"

" Later? Does that mean that….you'll forgive me? Will you forgive for being such a bitch to you?" Asuka asked uneasily.

Shinji chuckled, "as long as you forgive me for being so weak and passive…"

Asuka' face beamed with happiness. She felt so relieved that Shinji could forgive her; more ever, she was very pleased with the fact that Shinji realized his own flaws….He must have been thinking a lot about his feelings as well.

Shinji felt the same way; not only did Asuka forgive him for the fact that he was acting spineless, but she was feeling equally guilty for her behavior. And now, it was all water under a bridge, as if there fight didn't mean anything at all.

Hard to believe, that a couple this close nearly killed each other less than 24 hours ago.

Asuka giggled at the thought, "...we're pretty bipolar, aren't we?"

Shinji looked up at her, with the same thoughts in mind, "…heh...yeah. I suppose we got a lot to learn about love still, right?"

Asuka nodded, " Yeah…but I'm willing to learn it all…as long as I still have you."

Shinji smiled and looked up at the sky. Asuka, noticing that Shinji was staring at the zenith, decided to look upward as well.

"It sure is beautiful…" Shinji mused. And beautiful it was; the snow gently drifting down against the lights of the city….it had a mysteriously enchanting effect. He looked at Asuka who was also enjoying the serenity of the winter sky.

"But it is not as beautiful as y-,"

"Shinji, don't say it. That is one of the oldest pick-up lines in the book." Asuka teased.

Shinji chuckled and closed his eyes, "but it sounds a lot better coming from me, right?"

Asuka smiled along with him, "Of course it does. Everything you say sounds great….apart from when you whine, of course."

"Likewise."

Asuka stared at him. Those were one of the few moments when he had a decent retort for her. A part of her told her to argue that statement, but she shrugged off that feeling immediately. She didn't want to ruin this scene…..it was so perfect…..she didn't even notice how cold it was.

Shinji agreed that this was one of the best moments of his life. He never felt this comfortable with anyone; not since his loving mother. He wished that this moment would last forever: the two of them sitting there amongst the serenity of the winter night. But alas, all good things had to come to a close, regardless of how enjoyable it was.

"Asuka……" Shinji whispered, as if he was ready to fall asleep any moment now.

"yes Shinji?," Asuka replied wistfully, as if awaiting for a proposal or something.

"….maybe we should call an ambulance? My back still hurts….."

Asuka gasped and stood up so fast, that she accidentally dropped Shinji to the ground.

"OWWWW!!!!" Shinji cried out.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry Shinji! I totally forgot about your back! Don't worry, there's a payphone over there, I'll call an ambulance right away!" Asuka words muddled together as she looked for a decent apology and explanation.

She ran off to the other end of the block, where a lone payphone stood; leaving Shinji all alone on the cold concrete ground. He looked at her as she struggled with her change and the phone all at the same time. Clearly, Asuka was not so used to handling a payphone; He could hear her curse the machine with every profanity known to man.

"SCHEISS! You damn phone! how the hell do you work this thing?!" Was among the many stubborn remarks she shouted out.

Shinji just stared at her and muttered something under his breath.

"You know…you can use my cell phone Asuka…"

* * *

END OF CHAPTER 14

A/N: well....that took a lot of thought when typing it. So much thought, that I nearly passed out from the confusion (though that really doesn't take that much...lol...). The only problems I have with it are the typical ones: apparent abrupt changes, not much continuity, whatever. But besides those, I really enjoyed this chapter; one of the bestif I say so myself. However, I think its about time to toss in a little action...the romance/angst is getting too much for blood....

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter; and if find any errors with it (I seem to be doing that a lot...lol), then don't hesitate to tell me. I have no idea when the next chapter will be up, but I this fic is still alive and will be finished.

Please keep on reviewing! See ya in the next chapter!


	15. Bounded By Dependence

Disclaimer: Don't own Eva. even after all this time.

First things first: a grand apology for my utterly serious lack of updating. It has been...well...months is all i can count, and once again my excuse for such laziness is non-existant. True, my school work did put alot of pressure on me, but really there is no excuse for my lack of movtation. I was lazy and failed to to take the responsibility of finishing what I have started. And for that, I'am sorry...a thousand times over.

Now then, enough with the pity fest. This next chapter was first started WAYYYY back in January, and hasnt been touched since March. Luckily, not much of the original text has been changed, and the plot has been followed through carefully. The conflict begins to deepen once again, (hopefully in a way that it does not contradict the previous chapters) and we begin to see tracesof the love conflict to come. In other words,I'am nearing the end of this fic with an estimate of 5 or so chapters. (All that will hopefully be completed by the end of the Summer...).

Thats enough pointless banter. Please (finally) enjoy the next chapter! (and try to read with an open mind please...its been a while since I typed this...)

Chapter 15: Bounded by Dependence

_Don't you hate yourself?_

'Of course not. Why would I hate who I am? That would contradict living...it would be pointless.'

_So living isn't pointless? What is it that you have to live for?_

'Myself. I live so that I can find my purpose in life. That is why everyone lives; to discover why they are the way they are.'

_What happens when you find that purpose?_

'Then I live for it. I live for it until the day I die. And I keep on living for it even after death.'

_What if there is no life after death? What then?_

'What makes you so sure that life doesn't go on after death?'

_What makes you so sure that it does?_

'Because I have seen it. I have died once before already, and I still lived on. Humans never truly die. As long as they have the will to keep on being themselves.'

_But souls can die. Souls can break..what then?_

'The soul becomes nothing.'

_What if the souls of the entire human race should break? What then?_

"Then mankindwould becomenothing. We would never feel pain again."

_Nor love. Nor joy, nor ecstasy. Is it really so easy to be nothing? What about your memories?_

'memories live on with the soul. Souls are immortal as long as you realize your meaning; your purpose in life.'

_What is your meaning?_

'Her. I live for another so that her soul does not die.'

_Your purpose lies in another?_

'Yes. And if she puts her meaning into me, then her soul will not die either. We are immortal..'

_And what if she doesn't? What if she doesn't live for you?_

'Then she hasn't found that purpose.'

_Does that mean that she doesn't love you?_

'...She has to love me. I know it.'

_No one knows for sure; not even you. What if she doesn't find her own purpose in you? What happens if her soul dies?"_

'Then I will never be able to forgive myself...'

_But you can't keep on living without a purpose. You said that your purpose was her, and if her soul dies then you are doomed as well; in other words, a chain reaction._

'So my life is doomed from the very beginning?'

_As long as you continue to desire her, then you will never receive true solace. Even if you have her, she will never have you. She is not as understanding as you are. She wanders through life without searching for her own purpose. She only desires you so that she isn't alone. Animal magnetism._

'……….'

_You can still find your purpose...it isn't in the girl...so it must be somewhere else..._

'no.'

_what?_

'I told you, I found my purpose. It is her, and will always be her. Whenever I am with that girl, I am at peace. I don't feel pain, sorrow, regret, or anything painful when I look into her eyes. I have never felt that way about anyone ever. She has to be the answer I'm looking for, and I will continue to look out for her for all eternity.

_Pitiful...your soul is doomed. You will never realize the error of your companionship. Your soul will break, as well as hers..._

'...who are you?'

_You will become nothing. You won't even become the very vacuum of time and space._

'Shut up and answer me! Who are you! What do you want with me and Asuka!'

_your memories will die._

'Quiet...leave us alone...'

_your hearts will die..._

'I said leave me alone!'

_and therefore, your love will die..._

'SHUT UP!'

'...you will become nothing Shinji...nothing...'

* * *

Shinji opened his eyes. 

He was no longer in that void that haunted him only a few minutes ago; instead, he was in some sort of bed, complete with white sheets, pillow, and all. There was a bed next to him exactly the same way, though there was currently no occupant in it. The sheets were neatly made, the pillows fluffed, and the comforter folded. Shinji Ikari could figure out one possible solution: he was not home.

He wiped off some of the sweat that covered his forehead and exhaled slowly. That dream definitely wasn't normal; it was as if someone had peeked into his mind and poked at his brain multiple times. More so, he remembered the dream word for word; unusual for a boy like Shinji, who would often forget his dreams almost instantly. It was, without a doubt, the oddest subconscious nightmare he ever experienced.

'the voice is gone now...I don't think I ever felt that scared before in my life...'

Shinji plopped back against the bad and stared at the ceiling. It took him a few moments to realize that his back was now fully functional; he could move it with the slightest ease, just like before. Based on this fact, Shinji deduced that he was brought to a hospital shortly after the backbone incident, and he had been there ever since.

"The hospital? But how did I-?"

Shinji felt a slight shuffling; someone else was the on the bed with him. He turned his head away from the ceiling to see the one who caused the disturbance.

It was Asuka; sitting in a chair next to the bed, with her arms clutched to Shinji's blanket. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was soft and repetitive.

'sound asleep, as usual.'

Shinji reached over to wake her up, but changed his mind the last second. She deserved to sleep after all the anguish he put her through; it was the very least he could do for her. Instead of waking her up, he admired her sleeping figure while moving a piece of her soft red hair out of her face.

'She looks so peaceful...almost like a goddess...or an angel, in a manner of speaking..."

Shinji smiled. He truly did want the best for Asuka, regardless of his own well-being. He didn't want to see her hurt anymore, a desire that was fueled ever since the Third Impact and beyond. She had been through a lot by herself, and she deserved to have some comfort. Something he could provide, since he was the only one that could truly understand how she felt.

He stared at her and felt a small sensation of pride by this fact. Shinji was the only one that could make her happy now, no one else is capable (or even willing) to take on such a task. It was his duty to be with her and never leave her side; his only true purpose in life.

"purpose...but souls can die...if they have no purpose. What if Asuka's soul died?"

Shinji was perfectly confident with his belief that Asuka was his reason for living. Happiness was the key to life, and he never felt happier than being amongst her. But he often wondered what Asuka thought about all of this. Was she really in love with him?

It is apparent that Asuka enjoys being close to Shinji (at the very least), but did she see him as her one and only true love? If she didn't, then the voice may be right...and that bothered Shinji the most.

'Asuka...don't ever leave me. I-I don't want you to be nothing.'

the very same redheaded girl slowly opened her eyes slowly as a white hospital room came into sight. She rubbed her eyes and groaned slightly; it was too bright outside, so her eyes squinted a little from adjusting. She stretched a little and looked around the room slowly.

The room was too empty for her comfort. Apart from the young man sitting up next to her (smiling brightly at her too), there was only an empty bed, a chair, some sheets...

"SHINJI!"

Asuka's train of thought came back online, as she finally realized that Shinji was wide awake now. She jumped out of her seat and squeezed Shinji in an embrace that nearly made him pass out. She continued hugging him, not realizing that his oxygen level was dropping severely...

'at least she is glad to see me...but...I...can't breathe...'

Asuka's smile dropped suddenly as she realized that Shinji was not responding correctly to her display of affection. She felt Shinji patting her on the back frantically, yet she remained oblivious. Finally, she pulled back her head away from his neck and looked at his face...his deep purple face...

"SCHEISS! SORRY SHINJI!" Asuka cried and immediately let go his neck. Shinji inhaled all the oxygen at once and began inhaling and exhaling deeply.

Asuka continued rambling like a flake.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry..."

"It's...ok...Asuka..."

Shinji's intake of air slowed a bit as his body became refueled by a vast amount of oxygen.

"actually, I was glad you did that...heh...you must have been really worried..."

Asuka looked at Shinji as though he were insane, "of course I was worried baka! Do you know how long it took to get an ambulance over to you? It had to be at least an hour (damn payphones...), and who knows how seriousyour injury could have become."

Shinji had a hunch why it took so long for her to get an ambulance, "you know...you could have used my cell phone."

"..."

"Asuka? Um...are you alright?"

"..."

"Asuk-"

"Quiet. I'm trying to decide how to kill you."

"Eeep!"

Shinji's expression filled with fear, though (to Asuka's surprise) he didn't cower. Instead he gave her a smile, "make it as painless as possible then. I don't want to die as a writhing, spineless baka."

Asuka smiled back at him, glad to see that Shinji was getting a better sense of humor. It would be unhealthy for a boy his age to be serious all the time. "Well, you don't have to worry then; because you are being killed by the most beautiful woman in all of Japan. You have something to be proud of in the afterlife."

With that said, Asuka once again pulled him into a hug, though one that was less intense than earlier. Shinji eagerly accepted in an attempt to satisfy the angered woman; the last thing they needed was another harsh argument like the one for the earlier evening.

"I'm sorry I didn't give you my phone. I must have been um...delirious..."

'killed by the most beautiful woman in Japan...I really don't know whether to be pleased or terrified...ughh...' Shinji muttered in his thoughts.

"Hey, speaking of the phone, you haven't talked to Wondergirl in a while. Maybe you should talk to her. She mayknow something that could help us."

Shinji shrugged a little and withdrew from the embrace, "alright, though I'm sure that there won't be much to talk about."

Shinji found his shirt, reached into the side pocket and took out his cell phone.

'...yep...nothing to talk about...except for that strange bum that turned into a puddle last night.' Shinji's thoughts stated sarcastically.

He quickly turned it on, only to be surprised by a little pop-up that appeared on the display screen.

_One new message._

'Odd...only Rei has this number...and she can reach meat any time anyway...'

Shinji didn't think much of it; after all, he was unconscious for a good twelve hours. She could have tried to contact him during in any point of that time. Shinji opened the message, half-hoping that Rei's message had some good news. The last thing he wanted was to find out that he only had four days to save the city, or some typical NERV bullshit like that.

His eyes widened.

'this...can't be..Rei...'

_...you will both become nothing...end it now..._

Shinji's smile fell as the traces of that ominous voice echoed in his mind. It wasn't the voice itself; it was only a memory of the conversation from last night. At this point in time, Shinji was getting sick and tired of hearing this voice in his head over and over again. He tried as hard as he could to ignore the words this..monster...gave him, but they had a strange effect to them; as if they were the phrases of a prophecy...

Shinji gritted his teeth, as he loathed the voice with extreme passion. He had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last time he heard it either. It was bound to come back, and try to talk to Shinji again. It would say more hurtful things to him, and they may ruin his bond with the girl he loved.

And it would keep on coming back. Again and again and again...

"bastard...why won't it leave us alone?" Shinji whispered under his breath. He clutched the phone so hard that his grip may very well break it.

"Shinji, what are you talking about?"Asuka asked worriedly. The expression on his face was that of a helpless child: distressed and angered all at the same time.

Shinji was quick to think of a response, but decided to reframe from asking Asuka this particular question. On several occasions, he had already asked if she did truly love him, and on every answer, she responded to him 'yes'; and not always in words either. Overdoing this question may irritate Asuka, and she may believe that he still has uncertainty in their relationship. That would cause some serious problems on the road ahead.

"It's nothing serious. Just feeling a little dizzy still, that's all.. ('oh, and there's a little voice inside my head, ordering me to stop loving you,' Shinji responded in his thoughts.)"

Asuka grinned a little with relief and her eyes softened. Shinji thought that it would be best if he asked her something else, though she might question his motives.

"Asuka, what is your purpose?" Shinji asked bluntly.

Asuka stared at him funny. The look on his face told her that he was completely serious with his question. He really wanted to know her meaning in life...at all costs necessary. This apparently has something to do with Shinji's odd behavior ever since he woke up.

Therefore, she decided to humor him and think up a quick answer.

"I'm not too sure Shinji. I suppose everyone's purpose in life is to find his or her purpose. I guess that's my purpose as well." She replied gently.

Shinji wasn't convinced with such a vague answer.

"And what if you don't find that purpose?" He replied.

Asuka was surprised by Shinji's determination. It was as if her very life hanged in the balance of such a question.

"Everyone has to find their purpose Shinji. Or else-"

"Or else they have no purpose." He finished for her.

Asuka couldn't respond. Shinji was starting to get stranger and stranger; and it frightened her a little.

" Things that have no purpose shouldn't exist; ifsomeone doesn't find their purpose before they die, thenthe soul breaks. And then that soul becomes nothing...nothing..."

Shinji eyes widened at the very words. He seemed to be at the verge of breaking down completely; tears were swelling in his eyes, his body shook with fury, and an unforeseen tension filled the whole room.

Asuka was more than concerned, to say the least. She could feel the pain practically steaming off his skin, as if something terrible happened the previous evening. Worst of all, Asuka didn't know how to comfort him. She had never been asked such questions before.

Her mind sped with different solutions to his turmoil, but her body remained steady and seemingly unwilling to ease Shinji.

'Shinji...what can I do?'

Her eyes began to form tears at the sight ofhis tormented body. She reached out a hand and brushed it gently across his.

Shinji felt a slight sensation in his left appendage, and immediately glanced down at the source. Asuka took her hand and wrapped every individual finger in bond with Shinji's own. Slowly, Shinji's tears began to evaporate and his shaking ceased. He looked at Asuka and noticed that she was also crying.

Crying and now...smiling.

'Asuka...why are you crying too?' was the only thing Shinji could think of. The most obvious answer hit him first: she was worried about him. She was afraid that something was wrong with him, and there was nothing she could possibly do to stop it.

Shinji felt guilty for worrying Asuka that way. More ever, he should also show Asuka that he was strong enough to protect the both of them. Crying like that showed weakness, and he knew well enough that Asuka hates weakness.

Shinji ceased his whining and bowed his head. He was too ashamed to look her inthe face; afterall, hewas acting spineless again...

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you..."

Asuka gripped his hand even tighter, since it seemed that it was getting through to him. She was glad to see that Shinji wasn't hurting anymore...he really did worry her...

"It's alright Shinji. Don't worry...you'll see...things will turn out all right..." Asuka added with another one of her bright smiles.

Shinji felt another glimmer of hope, and his heart warmed up instantly. But he still felt bad for being weak especially in front of this girl, who loathed the emotion.

"I'm also sorry for acting this way...spineless I mean. I guess I still have some personal problems to resolve." Shinji ended with a chuckle.

"What are talking about Shinji? Spineless? No...I don't think so." Asuka stated in rebuttal.

Shinji looked up at her in surprise, "what?"

"Shinji, something was really bothering you; so much, that I can even feel your pain. Everyone faces these challenges sooner or late..it's a part of living. Not to mention a part of living that you are not so used to having. And you cry, because you don't know how to deal with it."

Shinji was mildly shocked by Asuka's strong logic. She was right, and more so, she didn't even snap at him for crying like that; a taboo that the old Asuka would jump at, given the opportunity.

'she really is different.'

Shinji smiled at the thought, though he really should stop worrying about such things anymore. They had come along way since then and there was no need to be set back by doubting each other once again.

Asuka caught glimpse of his smile, but continued with her lecture.

"Remember Shinji, you are only spineless if you take the easy way out of your problems."

Shinji lowered his head. He knew exactly what Asuka was talking about. "Your mean running away. I always run away..."

Asuka felt another classic 'Shinji sulk' coming along.

"But you don't have to keep on running Shinji. You can find other ways out; you always have other ways out of your problems."

Shinji nodded in agreement and sighed. This was not going to be an easy conflict to get out of, if he could ever get out.

"I know that...or at least, I think I know that. But what if there isn't a way out, Asuka? What if the worst DOES happen?"

Asuka was momentarily speechless. There was no easy answer to give him, because he was telling the truth. Sometimes, the worst does happen in life; and the results are dire.

"...what is the worst that can happen Shinji?"

Shinji's mind spiraled with images of the nightmarish future he may be facing. An existence without Asuka; and existence without purpose; and the thought of Asuka being nothing...

All was too much to handle.

Asuka heard sharp sobs coming from the bowing figure of the boy. Tears began falling onto the bed sheets and became absorbed within the white fabric. Soon his sobbing became more erratic and frequent.

Asuka feared that he was on the verge of another mental breakdown.

"Shinji..."

The redheaded woman slowly rose up from her seat and go on top of the bed. She sat on her knees opposite of Shinji and studied him carefully.

Then he tried to speak.

"Asuk-ka...sob...I...I..."

"What is it Shinji?" She responded quietly and compassionately.

"...I don't...sob...I...sob sob..."

"Shinji please...calm down..."

Shinji immediately obeyed and ceased his tears. His sobbing softened as he rose his head up and stared at Asuka directly in the eyes.

He whispered to her softly.

"I don't want your soul to die. I don't want you to become nothing."

Asuka didn't say a word.

'...become nothing? That's impossible...I will always be here for him...always...'

But she could tell but the sadness in his eyes that he was completely serious. He really did fear that someone (or something) would take her away from him forever. And he felt that there was nothing he could do about it.

'…is this your problem Shinji? Are you afraid that I will leave you?'

That had to be it. Probably more complex than she could imagine, but she knew that he was generally worried for her well-being. He didn't want her to die, especially when he couldn't do absolutely nothing about it.

'...poor baka...'

Asuka leaned over towards Shinji and slowly caressed his face. Shinji could feel her radiant warmth and his heart began to race faster.

"Shinji, listen to me. I won't be leaving you...ever; no matter what, I will always be here to help you get through anything. I _promise_ you that I will never leave..ever."

Shinji (and his heart as well) smiled. A promise like that was all he needed to hear for her; now maybe..just maybe...their souls would be spared. Shinji unwrapped his arms and stared at Asuka with a mix of shame and self-pity.

"I couldn't stop myself from crying again, could I?...Sorry..."

Asuka smiled and leaned in towards Shinji's face.

Shinji knew what was coming next, causing him to lean towards Asuka's face as well. Her lips were calling out to him again. and he eagerly accepted the invitation.

_Animal magnetism...she only desires you so she won't be alone..._

The voice ran deep through Shinji's mind, but this time he was able the ignore it completely. Something gave him the will the move forward to Asuka, and nothing could possibly stop him.

'Animal magnetism...yeah right. If she doesn't want to be alone, then so be it.'

Asuka could feel the desire emerging from Shinji. She couldn't help but accept the desire, causing her body to experience the sensation of that emotion as well.

The attraction grew stronger as the two of them came closer together, and soon there wouldn't be Shinji and Asuka; but the two of them connected by their passion for the other's kiss. Asuka slowly closed her eyes as she felt his breath brush against her lips. She wanted his touch...she wanted it more than anything else in the world..

'come what may, I will always have my Shin-chan..."

"Shinji..."

"yes, Asuka?"

"_ahem_."

"……"

"……"

The two of them stopped, barely a millimeter away from each other.

"I...hope that I am not interrupting anything serious."

Misato Katsuragi stood in the doorway, her eyes wide by the hot scene that was about to unfold.

"MI-MISATO!" Shinji cried out, completely frightened.

"………" Asuka was too angry and embarrassed for words.

"wow, I'm glad I stopped by. Or else I may have became a godmother sooner than expected," Misato teased.

"...yeah...perfect timing Katsuragi..." Asuka's face twitched with rage.

"ha ha...sorry Asuka. I didn't mean to embarrass you..."

Asuka grinned, "Who's the embarrassed one here? Your face is red too guardian!"

Misato didn't even notice her blush, which provoked her face to redden even more upon realization. She must have felt embarrassed to find both her adopted children passionately involved with each other.

" What's the matter Misato? Jealous that Shinji would much rather kiss me than you?" Asuka joked.

"………." Misato was too angry and embarrassed for words.

"come on everyone, let's stop fighting..." Shinji asked meekly.

Unfortunately, Misato ignored him completely, "Me? Jealous? Ha...no..not really. Just surprised to see the two of you like this, that's all. Besides, I already know how good of a kisser he is." Misato added seductively.

"WHATTT!"

"……………………." Shinji passed out immediately. Probably for the best too, or elsehe wouldhave to withstand Asuka's wrath.

"WHY YOU PERVERTED OLD HAG! DO YOU ALWAYS SEDUCE YOUNGER BOYS ON A REGULAR BASIS! ARE YOU REALLY THAT DESPERATE!" Asuka screamed out.

Misato became enraged by her outrageous claims, but unlike that redheaded girl, she had no trouble extinguishing it quickly.

"Hey, you're the one that brought it up Asuka, not me. I'm just telling you the truth."

Asuka couldn't believe what she was hearing. Shinji...HER Shinji...actually made out with Misato, their guardian. What kind of demon could have possibly driven the two of them to such an act! Her mind drew blank...she couldn't even think of what insult to toss out next.

"Hey Asuka...you still here?" Misato teased waving a hand in front of the other girls face. Asuka didn't respond and stared off into space. Then suddenly, she jerked her head towards Shinji, hoping to find out that this was all just one huge (and sickeningly twisted) joke.

"Shinji! This isn't true, is it? Did you really kiss Mi-SHINJI, MEIN GOTT!"

Shinji, at first glance, appeared to be sound asleep. But upon further inspection, a trail of drool seemed to be leaking from his mouth.

'wait, he always drools...but still...he fainted!' Asuka thought frantically through her mind. She acted on impulse and began shaking Shinji violently.

"Come on Shinji! Wake up! I need to ask you something!" Shinji's body flailed through the air like a antique rag doll. Misato, surprised by Asuka's actions, immediately leaped onto the side of the bed and struggled to stop the frantic girl.

"Stop it Asuka! Do you know what the hell you are doing!" Asuka was pretty strong; Misato was having a hard time keeping a grip on her.

"I don't care! I want answers, and I want them now!"

"Shaking up Shinji like he's some sort of rattle isn't going to give you the answers you want! Besides, I told you the truth of what happened!"

Asuka released Shinji, who collapsed back onto the bed with no sign of consciousness whatsoever.

"OH YEAH! LIKE I WOULD BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU TELL ME, GUARDIAN! THERE IS NO WAY THAT SHINJI WOULD AGREE TO YOUR PERVERTED DESIRES, EVER!"

'oh, that's the last straw.' Misato thought, "IT'S THE TRUTH ASUKA! NOW EITHER YOU ACCEPT IT AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, OR YOU CONTINUE TO DENY IT AND WHINE LIKE THE LITTLE BRAT YOU ARE NOW!"

"I WOULDN'T HAVE TO ACCEPT IT IF SOMEONE WATCHED THEIR INTAKE OF BEER! YOU MUST HAVE HAD TO GET REALLY DRUNK TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO HIM!"

"do what to who?"

The room became silent all the sudden, and both Asuka and Misato turned there heads to the direction of the voice. It was Shinji, wide-awake, sitting up, and grinning innocently at the two women.

"Sorry...I kind of forgot what we were talking about a second ago. What's going on?" He added while rubbing the back of his neck.

Before he could react, Asuka darted in front of the poor boys face and looked at him sternly.

"Shinji, did you really kiss Misato!" She blurted without hesitation.

Shinji was taken aback, as expected, and blushed at the idea of kissing Misato. He could do one of two things at the this point in time: he could tell Asuka the truth and expect a slaughter to come, or he could lie (which would undoubtedly make things worse), andconsequently end this fight in peace.

Shinji, being Shinji, chickened out at the last minute and spouted out the first thing that came to mind.

"No Asuka, I didn't kiss Misato. That would be just...wrong."

Misato slapped her forehead in the background as Asuka looked into his eyes for any truth in those words. Shinji gulped silently, half-expecting to be dead within the next 4 seconds. But instead, quite the opposite happened.

Instead, she leaped forward and pulled Shinji into yet another tight hug.

"sigh...thank God Shinji. I was worried there for a few moments."

Shinji was relieved that Asuka believed him, and gladly pulled her into the same embrace. Misato shook her head silently in the background; her face told him something like, 'kid...you have no idea what hell you are in for."

Shinji caught glance of this face, and replied with his thoughts, as if doing it by telepathy, '...but...it would make Asuka happier if she didn't know what happened. And I want her to be happy...so...isn't this the right thing?'

Asuka removed Shinji from her grasp.

"Hah! I knew you were lying the whole time Misato! It's not nice to play with a girl's emotions you know…" Asuka added smugly.

Shinji feared that Misato would stick with the truth about the kiss, which would undoubtedly lead to another argument. But strangely enough...

"yeah, Asuka...your right, it's not nice to play with a girl's emotions."

Shinji reluctantly looked over at Misato, only to find that she was staring right back at him. She still had one of those angry scowls on her face.

Shinji gave her a guilty smile, and laughed weakly.

'Sorry Misato...I can't tellher...not right now...'

"So Misato, when can Shinji leave the hospital?" Asuka asked eagerly.

Misato took a breath to soften her frustration. "He can leave this afternoon. The injury he received wasn't serious, so you lucked out once again Shinji."

Shinji merely nodded. He didn't have the courage to speak to Misato at the moment.

Misato frowned a little and turned towards the door.

"I'll have a ride come and pick up the two of you after Shinji checks out. You'll come to NERV headquarters for a briefing on our current situation." Her voice sounded very professional; more professional that usual.

She left the room without saying another word, leaving Asuka and Shinji alone once again. Asuka could sense that something bugged Misato, though she couldn't figure what.

"What's her problem?" She added irritably.

Shinji knew. But he would never tell Asuka. Far too much would be at risk if he told the truth about him and Misato.

He never did realize his error.

* * *

"Damn it...where is she?" 

Tyrone Remington stalked the halls of NERV headquarters in search of his commanding officer, Misato Katsuragi. Ever since the incident involving his subordinate, Misato was left with the responsibility of handling the retaliation against their enemy. And that left Tyrone in a rather difficult position as HER subordinate. His orders were to never leave the premises and to assist the commander in every way possible.

Of course, that should require that Misato should never leave the headquarters either; or at least inform her colleagues of her absence.

Tyrone opened the door to the nurse's quarters.

"Pardon me, but have you seen Katsuragi anywhere?" He asked, though with a hint of annoyance.

The nurse turned her head from her work and eyed the man curiously.

"You mean the commander's not back yet?" She replied.

"Back from what?"

"Calm down Captain...she went to the local hospital to check the condition of our pilot." She sternly added.

"Our ONLY pilot, too. Damn it...what would be the harm of transporting him here for recovery?" He stressed.

"Because we are more concerned with the well being of the pilot than with our current status. Transporting him here would have taken more time; Pilot Ikari's condition could have worsen for all we know."

Though her logic was undaunted, Tyrone still had his doubts.

"Hmph. I understand. Still, why couldn't we have secured the room in the local hospital? That way we would know that the pilot is secure..." He said in a more cool tone.

"_Because he doesn't fully trust this organization yet_."

The voice was female, but did not belong to the nurse. Tyrone turned around and came face to face with Commander Katsuragi herself.

"C-C-Commander..."

"If we established a secure perimeter around his room, then he would feel that we treat him like some kind of lab animal. So instead, we let him have the freedom he so rightfully deserves." Misato explained.

"Like a lab animal? Pardon me for saying so Commander, but that's just absurd. We are merely looking out for his well being."

"...hmm...because he happens to be a pilot. The most important asset to this organization."

"That's correct Commander. If the boy were to be killed under any circumstance, imagine what would happen to the fate of this branch."

Misato laughed.

"I fail to see what is so funny Commander. I assure you that this is a very serious situation."

"Captain...now you're the one being absurd."

"...Pardon me Commander?'

"Tyrone...think about what you said. You are saying that if he dies, we lose are jobs. You make it sound like he is a tool: serving only one purpose, hardly useful for anything else."

"W-What! Commander, I would never-"

"Captain, Listen to me. Shinji is not some tool to be used by NERV. It is his choice to pilot the Evangelion, Not yours or mine."

"But what about the fate of this country! What about the fate of this world! We can't stop this menace unless that boy controls that unit!"

"Like I said, it is his choice, and his choice alone. If he doesn't want to pilot, then we'll just have to find another way out of this mess. I would rather have him choose than to force him into that...thing."

Tyrone was at a loss for words.

"...Commander...I..."

"I don't expect you to understand Tyrone. I have known that boy for a long long time. No matter what his decision is, I will always see him as that courageous boy I know. His choices don't matter to me, as long as he is happy."

Misato was slightly surprised at herself. A commander should really never expose their emotions to their colleagues. Though it was true that she will always care for the welfare of Shinji, she was still pretty steamed at his behavior this morning.

'Damn it Shinji...you owe me one for sticking up for you again...'

Tyrone was equally surprised. This was the second time where she had gotten soft over that boy; the first being the time when he assessed the damage in Tokyo-2.

'That's right. She spoke of him as being family..._family..._'

"What is 'family'?" He whispered.

"...Captain? Is something the matter?" Misato asked curiously.

"hm? Ah...no, Commander Katsuragi. Just thinking out loud again.'

Misato chuckled.

"Of course, there is another reason I gave Shinji his privacy."

"There is?" He sounded pretty surprised.

" He has Asuka now. He doesn't need us to protect him anymore.." She replied.

The nurse laughed, "That makes perfect sense. We could barely handle her when she was still a pilot."

Misato smiled. Tyrone looked at the nurse with intrigue.

"Can we really trust his life in her hands?" He had no idea on how serious he was acting.

Misato raised one eyebrow. She looked over at the nurse and back over at Tyrone again.

"I'm sure that she can handle it."

* * *

"SHINJI! UNLOCK THIS DOOR NOW OR I'LL SWEAR TO GOD I'LL…" 

Asuka banged her fists against the bathroom door. Apparently, Shinji took this moment to lock himself in, and refused to come out. Conveniently enough, NERV would be coming by in five minutes to retrieve both him and Asuka. So it seemed logical of Shinji to play the hiding game, since NERV has been his sworn enemy many times before.

"I'm not coming out."

"Shinji...we've been through this a dozen times...if you don't want to work for NERV anymore, then you don't have too. I'm sure Misato feels the same way."

"Oh, that's not the problem. I am willing to pilot Unit 01."

Shinji could hear the sound of surprise from the other side of the door.

"What! You actually want to!"

"Of course. I have nothing to fear from it anymore, so it's not so difficult to control. I can handle it." He stated.

"Oh. I see. So then...why did you lock yourself in the bathroom?" Asked a dumbstruck Asuka.

"I wanted to clean up before we leave...if that's okay..." He answered timidly.

Asuka felt embarrassed for overreacting and decided to leave the boy to his business.

" grr...alright, you can change...but meet me at the waiting room in ten minutes or else!...grumble...grumble...Baka...grumble.."

Asuka walked out of the room, leaving Shinji alone to go about his business. Shinji could sense her frustration, and decided that it would be best if he made haste. He unlocked the bathroom door and grabbed his clothes; they were still a little wet from the rain, but wearable in the meantime.

'need to go back to the apartment sooner or later...I really need to change these clothes...'

Shinji put on his clothes faster than expected, seeing as his shirt was on backwards. He quickly adjusted himself, grabbed his coat, and began searching the pockets.

"I could've swore that I was forgetting something."

He looked on his nightstand and found that something: the cell phone. That phone was his only means of contacting Rei, who is now part of all humanity. She was the only one who was ever capable of contacting Shinji through it...until now that is.

'that message...'

Shinji still couldn't believe the fact that the contact was not Rei, but someone else who was somehow capable of accessing Shinji's phone. Moreover, it seemed to be the...thing...that haunted Shinji's dreams.

"It couldn't have been NERV. No one knows the number to this phone except her. Rei...did you really leave that message?"

Shinji had a hard believing that too, but it was a genuine possibility; seeing as he could not distinguish the gender of the voice.

'no...it can't be her...why would she want to do such a thing?'

He considered the possibility that maybe Rei was planning some sort of destruction-of-the-whole-planet operation, but that seemed more like the ramblings of a paranoid boy. Therefore, he dismissed the idea almost completely.

Shinji shook his head of all thoughts; he was getting carried away with these ridiculous ideas. The message could've come from some weirdo who found his found, tapped the number, and left him a strange message.

'Too strange...and too coincidental...no...stop it Shinji...it's just some prankster, that's all.'

Shinji's mind was made up, and just in time too. Asuka would be furious at how late he was getting...

"Oh man...she's gonna kill me..."

Shinji put the phone in his jeans pocket and darted out of the room with his coat tucked underneath his arm. He took the elevator down to the first floor and walked into the Waiting Room; where he was greeted by the ever-familiar scowl on Asuka's face.

"About time Shinji! What happened? Did you forget to undress before showering?" She teased; perhaps a little too loudly.

Shinji chuckled a little while Asuka pinched a piece of his wet shirt. She rolled it between her fingers and muttered.

"sigh...should've washed them earlier...oh well..."

"Um...Asuka...we should probably get going, our ride is here."

Eyes began to turn towards Shinji and Asuka, making the poor boy feel really awkward. She was acting as if she was his own mother.

"Asuka...um...Asuka..." Shinji whispered meekly.

Asuka released his shirt and looked over her shoulder. A small crowd was staring at them awkwardly, turning their eyes inconspicuously every now and then.

Asuka was the type to get peeved off by people such as these.

"honestly...they act as if they never seen dirty clothes before..." Asuka grumbled as a light blush grew across her face. She promptly grabbed Shinji's arm and walked out of the waiting room with her head held high. Once they were out of the building, she loosened her grip on his arm and growling irritably.

"grr...seriously...why did they have to make it so damn awkward! I mean we were just checking out of a hospital for crying out loud! What is there to stare at! Schiess..."

Asuka griped a little more, until she realized that Shinji was acting quiet again. She looked at the boy to find that he had one of his worried smiles.

"Hey Shinji...is your back alright? The nurse asked if you needed a wheelchair, but I told her that you were doing fine..." She offered.

Shinji shook his head," No, my back is just fine Asuka. But, I think I know why they were staring at us..."

"Of course! It was because they couldn't handle the fact that some people are left wearing dirty laundry!" She griped once again.

"No Asuka...I really don't think that was it..." He replied.

"Oh. Really...then...what do you think it was?" She asked curiously.

Once again, Shinji just shook his head.

"Never mind. I'm probably just...worrying about nothing again." He chuckled faintly.

Asuka huffed. "well, if your not sure, then why did you even bring it up in the first place baka!"

"Our rides here now. We should go." Shinji pointed towards the black sedan parked in front of the hospital. A man wearing a NERV uniform was outside, opening the passenger door for them.

Shinji began walking swiftly towards the car, leaving Asuka to stumble behind.

"Hey! You didn't answer me you idiot! Hey, get back here!"

Asuka surrendered and ran up towards Shinji, grabbing onto his arm in the process. Together, the two of them walked hand in hand towards their unknown agenda at NERV headquarters.

* * *

"He's close, that's all we really know." 

Misato tossed a file across the table, where Shinji and Asuka sat. Shinji grabbed the file and scanned the contents.

"So...what does...all this mean?" He asked meekly. Remington stepped forward and activated the light table; a map of Tokyo-3 appeared on the screen.

Remington cleared his throat, "Last night after you were taken away for medical care, we searched the area for any trace of the attacker. We found none...except for a fairly large LCL puddle that seemed to form next to where you were found."

Shinji choked a little. He remembered that the strange derelict turned into a puddle before Shinji's eyes; it was so strange, that is seemed like a dream.

'So it was real after all...' He pondered.

Tyrone lectured onward, "Through data analysis, we determined that the puddle was indeed the same man that fit the description of various witnesses. Hours after the attack, another LCL pool was discovered seven blocks away. Luckily, no one appeared to be injured, leaving us to suspect that the enemy found another host to infect moments later. Sure enough, another pool was found several blocks after that."

Tyrone pointed out all the locations where the pools were found. According to the records, over 10 pools of LCL were discovered.

"And all of these pools lead to this spot." He pointed at a street that Shinji was relatively unfamiliar with. However...

"The last pool was discovered directly 100 feet above the NERV entrance." Misato interrupted, "That leads us to suspect the obvious: our enemy is planning on, or already has, infiltrated NERV headquarters."

"WHAT?" Asuka let out with a shout. She yanked the file away from Shinji and began to read the contents herself. "And why is it that we are so calm about this?"

"Because we have Shinji." Tyrone replied. All eyes turned towards the boy. "As long as Shinji stays in the vicinity, we should have no problem apprehending the target."

Shinji blinked a few times. "Really? How do we plan on doing that?"

Misato spoke next. "Simply because the angel appears to be after you, Shinji. Anyone who attempts to get close to you is considered a suspect; including Asuka, Remington, and myself."

"Are you actually considering the fact that I could be your enemy?" Asuka blurted.

"Yes Asuka. No matter how much you hate it, there is still the possibility that you are our enemy. We have to take this problem seriously. If we don't, then we would be risking the future of mankind once again." Misato added with a hint of dread.

"But...I would never kill..." Asuka whispered.

"Ms. Sohryu; please remember that ten lives were already destroyed because of our negligence. If we had detected the enemy's flight pattern sooner, then such an incident could have been avoided. Therefore, we must take extra precautions." Tyrone spoke with regret.

"Of course, our lack of proper technology is to blame also. If our equipment wasn't dismantled, then this problem wouldn't have become so urgent." Misato added.

"So it appears that our enemy decided to attack us when we were weakest. Common war strategy at it's most primitive." Tyrone concluded.

"Right. So can we please stop wallowing in our sorrows and continue with briefing already?" Asuka gave the two officers a sarcastic glare.

Remington cleared his throat. "I'm sorry...let us continue. Our plan is to completely monitor Shinji's actions at all times. That means that two or more people have to be with you at any given point in time, or we must have camera surveillance when available."

"I can't be alone...ever?" Shinji groaned. This was a serious violation of one's personal privacy. Backing out now seemed like a good idea."

"Don't worry...it's only temporary. Once certain equipment enabled, then we can target the enemy and prepare proper countermeasures."

"What equipment do you need?"

"That which can detect the blue pattern in angels. After all, it is an angel we are dealing with here; therefore, any human with that pattern is considered our enemy. Simple as that." Tyrone stated. "But until that equipment is installed, we have make sure that you are in the presence of two or more people; we choose two in the event that one of these individuals happen to be our enemy."

"To further the precautions, we decided to hold a daily blood test to detectany patterns among our staff. But if all goes according to schedule, we should have the system ready to go by tomorrow evening." Misato explained. She looked at Shinji and Asuka, who both appeared to be slightly perplexed by this whole briefing.

"Any questions, either of you?" She asked.

"No...I don't' believe so..." Shinji responded. Asuka didn't say a word and merely nodded.

"...Remember something you two...the key of success to this operation is trust...if you believe that one of our officers is acting strangely, then take extra precaution. But don't jump to eliminating the enemy...understand? Alright, you two are dismissed." Misato finished by turning on the lights. Shinji and Asuka sat still; both with a look of apprehension on their face.

Tyrone saw this and tried to lighten the mood. "heh...don't worry you two. You two know each other more than anybody else. You should have no problem with trust."

Shinji felt a little better after hearing that, but Asuka seemed to be more uneasy than usual. Tyrone tried to cheer her up again, but was interrupted by his beeper. He glanced at the device and then looked over at Misato.

"That was Ms. Kusajira. She must need assistance down at the nurse's office. I'm sorry you two, but I fear that I must go now. Be wary of your surroundings and your fellow officials." Tyrone walked out of the door, followed by an armed NERV official.

"Alright. Be careful Captain." Misato waved her hand in farewell.

"...Misato?" Asuka asked quietly.

"hmm? Yes Asuka?"

"Does...Shinji really have to go through with this operation?" She replied hesitantly.

Misato should have expected this sort of thing, but was never really prepared for it. This mission wasn't exactly the most fail-proof, meaning that Shinji could die...or worse. It made sense that Asuka worried about Shinji, but moreover, she suspected that Asuka was worried about her own life too. If Misato were in that same position, she would question the success of such an operation as well.

What made matters worse...Misato didn't have any real helpful advice. If Shinji didn't go through with the plan, then the entire planet would be in jeopardy. But if he did comply...

"Asuka...that choice is up to Shinji." Was all that Misato could say.

Asuka gasped a little and looked over at Shinji, who felt nervous to have so many eyes on him once again.

"Well...I...that is..." Shinji stuttered.

"Shinji, please tell me. Do you really want to do this or not?" She asked firmly.

Shinji swallowed hard. "yeah...I guess I want to do it. I mean, if I don't do it Asuka , then we would die eventually anyway. So it would be better to at least try..."

Asuka blinked a few times, "oh...I see..."

Shinji smiled and put a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, don't worry. We just have to be careful for a little while, that's all. As soon as Misato has the system back up, I'm sure that we'll have the advantage in no time. Right Misato?"

Misato nodded confidently, "Yep. Knowingyour enemy's location at all times is a prime advantage to any form of warfare. Asuka, you really have nothing to worry about. Just keep your guard up for a while."

Asuka didn't even smile, "Alright...I guess there is nothing to worry about."

'but if that's true, then why does it still feel like Hell is going to break loose?' She pondered.

"Well that's settled. Now lets get out of here and get you two home. I'm sure either of you don't want to be in this facility a moment longer." Misato lead the two of them out the door and down the hall. At the end of the hall was the large steel door that led to the surface lifts. Misato placed her hand on the touch screen, causing the doors to open slowly.

Shinji looked back down the dark hallway behind them.

'There's...something here after all. I can feel it now. It's close...very close...' He whispered in his mind.

"Shinji, will you hurry up! I don't want to stand here forever..." Asuka barked as shivers went down her spine. Her and Misato have already boarded the lift. Shinji snapped back to reality and ran towards them.

"Sorry! Let's get out of here." He replied as the lift began its slow descent towards the surface.

* * *

A large pool began to form across the cold tile floor.Howthis blood was spiltwould beunknown to the rest of the NERV staff, except for the one who slit the throat. One man was with this killer, butthepoor guywas dead next to the onethe fiendhad just slain. No one was around to hear him, and the slice of a knife across the throat made no sound whatsoever. Indeed, the kill was perfect; and best of all, it was just the beginning... 

The murderer wiped the blade carefully and slid it back under his coat. His chuckle turned maniacal as he stared at the two bodies before him.

"...heh heh...the bitch sure was easy to handle; the solider put up more of a resistance. I guess she was all bark and no bite..."

As he approached the door entrance he looked down both ends of the dark NERV hallway to make sure that his kill actually was well executed; and as expected,not a single soularrived. After all, no one ever came down the halls during late afternoon. He chuckled again at his sheer stealth and skill. No one would even know that is was...him.

"...Family, eh Katsuragi? Well then, I will pleasure in slaying every last one of them."

The man stepped out of the shadows and into the light of the doorway, revealing the corpses of his victims. Against the wall was a foot solider; and slumped across the desk, was the body of the nurse known as Himiko Kusajira.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER 15

Whoa boy...a cliffhanger...and a sizable one at that...

This chapter was meant to be longer, but I felt that finishing it all the way would seriously disrupt the balance of the fic. Therefore, it will end here for now.

I sincerly hope that this chapter wasn't too confusing, seeing as I haven't written in quite some time (meaning that I probably have a good number of grammatical errors, even after proof-reading). If you felt that too much was being said at once...then don't worry...I feel the same way. Hopefully, the following chapters will flow better than this one. But overall, I was rather pleased with how this one turned out.

I will really REALLY try to update as soon as possible; even harder than ever. But in the meantime, please keep revewing! (if there are some of you that actually remember me out there...). Those reveiws were the very things that got me back on my feet in the first place, so please don't stop now.

Well with that said, I'll see you all at the next chapter! It feels good to be back...


	16. Chaos is the Weapon of Mankind

Disclaimer: Don't own Evangelion. I'd buy it but...yeah...4 cents won't give you the contract rights for a mass-produced television series.

Author's Notes: Alright, first things first: I apologize for not updating sooner. This chapter was actually half done 8 months ago, but fell off the face of the Earth sometime after that.However...I am absolutely driven to tears to find people still reading this story. Seriously, I have had friends who wrote fanfics, dropped them, and never continued them because of a lack of motivation and audience interest. But I find myself fortunate to have those out there who still read this story, and for that...thank you everyone. It means alot.

Okay, that's enough of that.I hope you guys enjoy this chapter (it's a pretty long one; Quite a bit of effort did go into this one.) and I hope that I didn't bend the rating that I previously gave this fic...heh..heh...

(oh...and one last thing. _italicized_ text for thought, and "double quotes"for speech. Enjoy.)

* * *

Chapter 16: Chaos is the weapon of mankind. I am the wielder. 

"I just don't understand it….how did this happen?"

Unlike her cohort, Misato didn't show a single sign of surprise "It was to be expected…we knew our enemy could be among us, so causalities will happen. We would be lucky to have this few once this is over..."

"That is…if we manage to complete the operation."

"You're right. We'll need many more to keep this situation under control. Just keep your guard up and your wits about you and we just might survive."

"Understood Commander…but still…one nurse and one man slaughtered….and Captain Remington probably won't survive the night."

"Captain Remington was careless; it's unusual for a man of the military, especially for one as experienced as him. Perhaps..he was actually frightened by the enemy, in which case, hysteria was the cause for his carelessness."

"What is the likelihood of that?"

"Zero to Null. But in any case, I fear that this angel is stronger than we can ever imagine. Please be careful…"

"Understood Commander."

Misato began to walk out of the nurse's office, where the scene of slaughter took place. She was quickly followed by the solider she had spoken to moments ago.

"Uh…Commander?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"…Pardon me for saying so Commander, but…what if…_you_ were the enemy? What would have to be done then?"

Misato wasn't surprised by such a question.

" If I were your enemy, I would make sure that _you_ would be dead, along with everyone else in this room; but not right away. I would probably use you as a shield, allowing you to absorb the gunfire while I take out each individual in your squadron with a simple handgun. If I manage to eliminate your teammates, then I would either snap your neck, or give you a quick gunshot to the head; either way, your death would be quick and painless. Also, if you had the opportunity to do so, I would expect you to kill me without hesitation; with any means necessary. Death would be the best solution for optimum results."

The young soldier blinked a few times, "I understand…but…you really thought about this, didn't you?"

Misato turned to him; a sly grin present on her face.

"Of course; as commander, I must consider all scenarios…even those that are unfavorable to myself," With that said, she left the solider to his post and continued toward the dark corridor ahead.

The solider unpackaged a lone cigarette and plucked it onto his lip.

"Jesus…I would hate to be the guy to piss her off." And with that, he struck a match and lit the cigarette tip.

* * *

Shinji awoke with a gasp. 

Even after catching his breath, all that swarm in his mind were the last few images of his deep nightmare: the pool of red liquid, the stained nurse uniform clothed on a fresh corpse…all of it was too vivid to be a mere manifestation of his own subconscious.

_Her face…that dead woman's face…it looked so familiar…but full of pain. Her death must have been agonizing._

Shinji stood up slowly as to not wake Asuka, who was still slumbering in the adjacent futon. Carefully, he opened the door to the bedroom and closed it quietly behind him. He rubbed his eyes as he proceeded to the kitchen.

_Why does that woman look so familiar? I swear that I've seen her somewhere before…perhaps from NERV?…Wait…there was another face there too…_

Indeed there was; he remembered it now. The mad glare of those two demon eyes as they stared lustfully at the pool of blood forming around the poor woman's corpse. There was no doubt that the sinister figure was responsible for that nurse's torture.

Shinji opened the refrigerator door and scanned the contents groggily; there was nothing that would suit for a small midnight snack, unless he should copy the actions of his former guardian.

_Ugh…don't need beer at 2 am. A glass of water will do._

Shinji grabbed a clean glass from the cabinet and turned the faucet on high. A spray of water shot out from the tap faster than Shinji's tired mind could think.

'Water spouting out…like the blood spray from a warm neck…unable to control flow of blood…unconsciousness...death…'

Shinji's eyes widened; he couldn't believe what the hell he was just thinking, but it was as if someone reached into his mind and groped around with it. God forbid that he would think such malicious thoughts willingly.

He looked down at the glass in his hand; the tap was still running, causing the water to overflow over his hand. He turned off the faucet as the last remaining trickle of water dripped over the side of his thumb and disappeared.

_…overflowing…the blood in my hand…._

Shinji's hand began to tremble violently; the water glass felt the pressure of his grip on all sides.

_Overflowing…blood...hand…__family…_

CRACK!

Shinji stared at the shattered glass that pierced his hand. The blood began to steadily pour out of the small crevices that formed around the bases of the glass shards.

But Shinji did nothing but stare. His mind told him that there was a sharp pain in his right hand, but his body did nothing.

_…blood…pool…_

The blood was beginning to drip off of his hand, signaling to Shinji that he needed to treat the wound immediately. Once again, Shinji didn't move a muscle; he just watched as the blood accumulated from his hand and onto the floor, as if it were actually amusing the young man.

…_family…_

"Shinji? What's going on?"

Shinji didn't even look, but he already knew who it was. It was Asuka, wearing nothing but one of his oversized t-shirts (while he only wore the trousers that matched the outfit). Apparently his sneaking technique was rather sloppy and woke her up anyway. She rubbed her eyes tiredly as she walked into view of the kitchen.

"Shinji?" She asked again, "What are you doing up at this hou-SHINJI!"

She saw it; the bloody hand where the glass shards rested deeply. She saw how deep it was, and how Shinji's hand quaked from the very loss of blood; but when she looked at the boy, he did not even look back at her. He just continued to stare at the hand…completely mesmerized.

"SHINJI! WHAT ON EARTH DID YOU DO TO YOUR HAND? SHINJI ANSWER ME!"

The boy slowly began to look up from his hand and came face-to-face with Asuka. She was close to gasping; his eyes were so wide and frightened, as if he were staring down the devil.

He spoke softly.

"…family, eh….Katsuragi?"

* * *

If there was one thing that Asuka liked about her new apartment, it was the fact that NERV provided absolutely everything for Shinji and herself. They had plenty of food, functional plumbing and electricity, and of course, medical equipment. Their bathroom shelves have been completely filled with enough medicine to complete about twenty-five first aid kits; and if that weren't enough, they still had the emergency kits that lined the cabinets of their kitchen. 

Asuka walked into the bathroom and grabbed a bottle of septic and a bandage/suture kit. She looked around at the other supplies that filled the shelves; they had ointment, anesthetics, different types of aspirin, hypodermic needles, and an endless supply of plain, household bandages.

_…All this preparation. And I always thought that Misato was an irresponsible drunk. Heh, now she seems more like an over-concerned mother…_

Asuka closed the door to the bathroom and walked into the kitchen, where Shinji sat. He had his bloody hand wrapped in a towel while he applied the necessary pressure to keep it from bleeding anymore.

"I found some bandages; none of the cuts look that big Shinji, but that one near your arm probably needs to be stitched; I'm not sure if just wrapping it in bandages would be enough," she explained.

Asuka and Shinji have both received education in medical treatment from NERV; but Asuka's skills were slightly more advanced because of her extensive training in Germany. With her skills, she should be able patch up any of her fellow comrades in no time.

"It's okay, Asuka. I can handle a few stitches…" Shinji replied with a smile.

Asuka smiled back, but was slightly concerned all the same.

"All right Shinji. Just a moment then, I forgot to grab some anesthetic."

Asuka came back a few moments later with a small bottle and a hypodermic needle. She injected the needle into the bottle and filled up the needle completely. Carefully, she took the needle and slowly placed it into Shinji's arm. Shinji winced a little from the sharp pain.

"Hey…that hurts." He whined.

"Well, you should have been more careful!" She replied impatiently, "What in the world were you doing in here anyway? You weren't acting like yourself."

Shinji felt a slight twinge of guilt; he should be more grateful to Asuka, who was only trying to help him out.

"Sorry…I didn't mean to complain," He looked at Asuka as she begin to apply the septic to his right forearm," To be honest, I really don't know what happened earlier."

"Nothing at all?" Asuka asked, a little surprised by Shinji's response. She started to place the first stitch in his arm while Shinji looked at the ceiling; it was just too creepy to watch.

"All I remember is waking up from this really bad nightmare, getting a glass of water, and then…my mind just went completely blank," he explained.

Asuka stopped for a moment and looked at Shinji curiously, "What was the nightmare about?"

Shinji blinked a couple of times, "…I'm…not sure."

Asuka sighed and continued to stitch the remainder of Shinji's cut. Shinji, on the other hand, looked back at the ceiling and tried his best to remember.

"I can't imagine you forgetting somethinglike this.I mean…your hand…it was covered with blood! How in the world could you not see that?" She ranted.

Shinji's eyes flashed, "…blood?"

"Yes, blood Shinji. Sheesh…you really can't remember anything, can you? Baka…" Asuka finished the last stitch and began to wipe off the little trace of blood that still lingered on his hand.

"…no…there was blood…in my dream last night," Shinji spoke in a quiet tone," there was also…a body there. The dead body of a woman…she was wearing a white uniform; I think she was a nurse. Then there was also a shadow of some…thing…it looked like a man, but I don't think it was because it…liked to kill…"

Shinji's voice trailed off as Asuka began to apply some more septic to his hand. The rest of his right hand did appear to be all right; just a little cut up from the glass.

"It was just a nightmare. You know how they are; you'll probably forget about it in two days anyway…" said Asuka.

"That's not all though. I remember now; I remember breaking the glass in my hand."

Asuka didn't speak. She just silently continued her handy work.

"Asuka…you know those nightmares where you know that you are really asleep? The ones where if it gets so bad, you can just force yourself to wake up from it?" Shinji asked.

"…I think so. I don't usually remember my nightmares anymore though." She replied.

"When I was in the kitchen earlier, I felt like I was having one of those; except in this one, I couldn't force myself to wake up. I could see myself staring at the glass in my hand, but I couldn't do anything as the blood began to come out. My thoughts…I couldn't control them; instead they controlled me. All I caught myself thinking about were the words that man in my dream said."

"…What did the man say Shinji?" Asuka asked quietly.

"…He just said something about 'family'. It was pretty creepy. He said something else too; someone's name I think."

"Katsuragi?"

"What?"

"Katsuragi…that was the name you said when you spaced out." Asuka began to wrap the bandage lightly around Shinji's injured hand.

"Katsuragi…Misato…."

There was only one terrible thought that was going through Shinji's mind: what if Shinji's dream was more than that? What if his dream was a premonition: something that spoke of events to come? Or worse…what if he was dreaming an event that already happened?

"Asuka, maybe we should go to NERV right now…I think…something terrible is going to happen."

Asuka tied the bandage into a loose knot and admired her work, "there! It's finished."

"Asuka, I'm serious about this…I think something bad is going to happen, or worse..._has_happened, inside of NERV headquarters."

" I heard you the first time Shinji; but you said it yourself that it was all just a bad dream. No matter how real they may feel, you got to realize sooner or later that there are some things in the world that are never real; only imagined." She argued.

Shinji averted his eyes from Asuka, "…Why don't you believe me Asuka? Is it because it's not realistic to believe it?"

Asuka frowned at him, "No, that's not it Shinji. Its just th-"

"Because you know damn well that everything we have seen has been _far_ from realistic. People turning into puddles and a monster we can't see; sounds completely insane, but we know it's real because we are experiencing it. Listen to me Asuka: there are also some things in this world that are too real to be true; and those are the ones we only _wished_ were imaginary. My nightmare is going to be real too if I don't do something about it. I'll do it…with or without your hel-"

"Listen to me baka!" Asuka shouted irritably, " sigh...I. Believe. You. Its just that…."

Asuka took Shinji's bandage hand into her own, and began stroking it gently. Shinji's hand winced from her touch.

"…I don't want to believe it. Because the more I believe, the more chances we have at getting hurt. The more chances there are of me losing you…"

Shinji smiled warmly and gripped Asuka's hand. He looked at her straight in the eyes.

"Asuka; I understand you feel. Before I found you again I have always been wondering 'where is Asuka right now?' or 'Is she still alive?'. And now that you are here next to me, I no longer think those thoughts anymore. It doesn't matter what is or isn't real anymore; as long as we have each other, we can not be separated."

"Oh Shinji…that's so…corny." Was her only reply.

"Bwuh? What did you say?" Shinji asked dumbstruck.

Asuka simplygiggled and stood up. " I said that was really corny Shinji; but it was also very sweet of you. You are right though: as long as we are together, we can face anything with our unbreakable bond."

"Hmm." Shinji stood up next to Asuka and looked across the hallway at the front door.

"Come on. Let's go see what see what is going on down there."

Asuka nodded and joined Shinji, hand-in-hand, as they left the safety of their own home. The moon shined brightly across the night sky, but it didn't matter to those two. All they knew was that they could very well be entering the bowels of hell, facing an enemy who wished to have both of them die in agony.

And yet…they smiled.

* * *

_It was perfect…too perfect…yet still…someone managed to find me…_

Tyrone Remington kept as still as he possibly could; he had to fake a serious injury, and in order to do that he had to fake sleep as well. If the guards at the door of his office thought he was acting suspicious, then they wouldn't hesitate to shoot him. Or at least, that is was they were ordered to do.

Still, Tyrone could not take that risk; he had to keep his true identity as secret as possible, even with things being the way they were.

_If it weren't for that one damn soldier…then my plan would still have perfect; and I wouldn't have to worry about this delay…damn him…once I get out of this mess, I swear to it that I will see him dead. It will be a glorious killing for me, but grueling agony for him. hmph...he should grateful to be part of such graceful murder..._

Fortunately for Tyrone, his maddened thoughts kept him perfectly still and out of suspicion. The couch in his office helped a little as well; it made a very comfortable place to settle his 'wounds', and it also had somewhat of a strategic advantage as well. If the guards decided to play target practice with him, he had the chance of blocking the attacks with the piece of furniture; giving him the opportunity to prepare his offensive.

…But still…he could not let go of the subtle mistake he made before.

FLASHBACK

He had just finished off that bitchy nurse and the obedient soldier boy; it was a magnificent and silent sequence of mayhem, the kind that Tyrone valued the most. The nurse was easy to kill; just a few fists across the face and swift stab in the heart were enough to paralyze her. That gave him enough time to attack the soldier before the boy's brain could process what he was seeing. Tyrone simply took him out by breaking his neck; another unskilled soldier recycled.

Now Tyrone had time to enjoy killing that nurse. He grabbed her by the neck and slammed her swiftly against the wall, making no sound in the process due to his sheer agility. Her breathing was rapid and erratic, like that of a wounded deer looking into the eyes of the deadly predator. Her eyes were like that of a deer's as well: frightened, desperate, and filled with the life the Tyrone sought to take. The knife he used to stab her earlier then made its away across her throat in one swift movement. Then another slash…then another…and another…and another….

Then he stopped; something was grabbing onto Tyrone's leg. He looked down slowly towards the cold tile floor and saw the pitiful figure of the soldier boy trying to stop Tyrone with his pleas.

_Or maybe he's trying to kill me with his passion for vengeance. …Pitiful…simply pitiful…_

Tyrone shook the human's hand from his trouser leg and instantly stamped on its hand. The boy tried to scream out in pain, but his slightly twisted neck made it impossible; it came out as a scratchy groan. Tyrone chuckled at that.

_heh….I must admit, I am surprised that you are still alive. But it was inevitable that you would die anyway, wasn't it?_

Tyrone dropped the bleeding nurse on the floor and grabbed onto the soldier's shirt collar. He then raised the boy upward, bringing the pathetic creature up to level with Tyrone.

'hm. Dull. Lifeless. You are on the verge of death, Mr. Valiant Soldier. Here, allow me to direct you to the final abyss.'

Tyrone took his crimson-drenched knife and jabbed it multiple times into the boy's bowels. Each movement was as quick and merciless as the last; when finally, the soldier stopped his groaning. Tyrone tossed the dead man against the wall opposite of the nurse and stared at his masterpiece of terror.

_Perfect. Simply perfect. I am too swift, too powerful to be heard. The perfect murder indeed; I shall glory in doing the same to Katsuragi. She won't know what hell I have in store for her…until the final moments of her death. And why stop there? I may as well give Mr. Ikari and that bitch he calls his girlfriend a taste of my 'God-given skill' as well. They all don't deserve it, but I will give it to them out of mercy. The gift of hell given to the unworthy….Ikari…Sohryu…and Katsuragi…._

Tyrone looked up at the ceiling, his eyes widened with madness.

"Family…eh Katsuragi? Well then, I shall pleasure in killing off every last one of them."

He stalked his way out of the room and scanned the hall, looking both ways in hopes that no one spotted him. A few seconds later, and there was still silence in both directions. Tyrone smiled again at his ingenuity and quickly began to make his way down the west hallway.

Then he heard it; the voice of a man calling in the opposite direction.

"Hello? Is anyone down here?"

Tyrone's eyes filled with a bloody rage; someone heard him. Someone with some unimaginable hearing ability was able to sense Tyrone. How and why was obviously not the question, but what he should do about it. His first instinct was to charge at the interfering stranger and to shred his guts all over the cold concrete floor, but the darkness that filled the deeper parts of the hallway left Tyrone at a disadvantage. For all he knew, there could a dozen soldiers following the man; and challenging all of them could result in Tyrone's death…or worse. One of the soldiers may escape his onslaught and expose the killer's identity to the rest of the base.

Tyrone could not risk that; there had to be another way. He looked around for any other resources, but could only see the ominous shape of the nurse's office door. Tyrone looked at the door for a few moments then looked down at his hands. A bloody knife was gripped in one of them.

Remington's smile came back. It wasn't the most brilliant plan in the world, but it would have to do. He dashed into the nurse's office and quietly shut the door behind him. The room was pitch black; he couldn't even see the bodies of the two he just murdered. With his hands, he felt his way to the only bed in the office, and settled himself across it. It was rather uncomfortable, but thankfully, he wasn't planning on sleeping here.

Tyrone gripped the knife tightly with both hands and raised it in the air. With a slight degree of courage, he faced the blade his way and jabbed it deeply into his chest. He let out a sharp gasp from the pain.

_Amazing…so this is what it feels like. This is what each of those pathetic humans feel whenever I bring the blade to their skin. Pain….what a sensation indeed…_

Tyrone took the knife from his body and brought down again; in order to make it convincing, he had to make himself bleed as much as possible. And to his relief, blood began to form quickly from the fresh wounds.

_…He's close…I can hear his footsteps 100 yards away…_

Tyrone let the blood continue to rise as he tossed the knife onto the adjacent body of the soldier boy; it landed with a soft _thud_ onto his thigh. Remington was bleeding faster than expected; soon, his whole shirt would be covered in red.

_now all that's left to do is wait……Katsuragi…you wait as well; you'll see…my wrath will find you soon enough._

Remington could already hear the muffled sound of a male's voice on the other side of the door.

"I swore I heard someone down here…"

The doorknob began to turn, but the voice grew distant; Remington was on the very threshold of fainting; everything around him was beginning to become unclear. He could barely see the bodies of the two humans as a faint light from the hallway began to creep in.

The soldier stepped through the door; that was when Tyrone lost his consciousness.

END FLASHBACK

_That bastard of a soldier; I'll make sure that he sees death soon enough. Though…I guess I should be grateful to his incompetence. Any reasonable soldier probably would have kept quiet until they found the source of the sound. But that boy…he just let his cowardice take over and called out for the sound. If he didn't let me know he was there, I would have been in worse trouble. Still…it's pitiful…simply pitiful…_

Tyrone opened his eyes slightly and looked over at the entryway. Two armed soldiers guarded the door on both sides; and, as most mindless drones would, they remained motionless until a sign of disarray. Their tired eyes stared at Tyrone as if he were priceless piece of art at a museum exhibit.

_heh. Are they really even looking at me? They look rather tired. Perhaps I should see if they are daydreaming or not…_

Tyrone shifted his back towards the guards and began groaning in pain. His body shook as the bursts of agony continuously tortured the injured Captian. The two guards at the gate snapped out of their dream-like state and slowly started over to him.

"Captain! What's the matter? Is it you injuries?" The first guard asked with concern.

"Sir, do you need a medic down here?" The second one followed.

Tyrone smiled slightly _heh…they seem to be awake now._

He slowly turned around and faced the two distressed guards, "No, I'm fine Private. Back to yourpost; you don't want the commander scowling at you if she finds you slacking on the job."

"But sir, our main priority is your safety. Are you sure that your alright?" The first private asked.

Tyrone sat upright unto the couch, "Yes. Yes. I'm quite all right; quite all right. Just a little dizzy from the blood loss, that's all. Perhaps I should return to my duties…just to get the blood flowing again"

Remington slowly began to stand upright, but sat back down when another seemingly sharp pain entered his lower body. He wrapped his hands around his abdomen and started groaning again.

The soldiers lowered their weapons and came closer towards the Captain. One bent down and put a hand on Remington's shoulder, while the other stood next to him and studied the captain.

"Sorry sir. But we were given our orders to keep you here until you have fully recuperated."

Tyrone clutched his stomach even harder and bent over so that his face was out of view. He shook violently as both guards supported him.

" Sir, please! You really need to relax…"

Tyrone chuckled, "You two never give up do you?"

The first guard was slightly taken aback, "but sir…our orders are to-"

"make sure I fully recuperate. I know. Or….are you just holding me prisoner?

The second guard appeared distressed and impatient, "no sir, we are just-"

"Am I a threat to all of you? Is that it? Is Katsuragi afraid that I will KILL EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF HUMAN GARBAGE IN THIS HELL FACTORY?"

Tyrone kneed the standing soldier in the groin while pounding the sitting one square in the face. Both fell to the ground, panicking from the pain that swelled in their injured parts.

Tyrone took this opportunity to arm himself. He swiftly moved over to his desk and opened the top drawer; in it sat a rather large and clean knife. It was similar to the one he used on nurse Kusajira and that incompetent soldier, but Tyrone had never used this one.

"yes….another weapon worthy of my skill…" the knife shook violently in Tyrone's grip, as if it were possessed. Swiftly, Tyrone raised his knife in the air and approached the two fallen soldiers.

"s-sir…why…why…kil-"

Tyrone gashed the knife across the man's head; the neck wound was so deep, the poor soldier's head might have fallen off. The other soldier stared in terror as his comrade's head rolled across the floor and into his lap. He nearly vomited at the sight of the vacant and painful expression the head's face.

"pft. Pathetic. You still don't get it. You could at least stop thinking like a soldier and think like a human. Humans may be illogical scum, but they don't sell their souls to the military. Use your instincts and kill me before I kill you, you lowly dog…"

The soldier frantically pulled his gun off the floor and pulled the trigger; but Tyrone was too swift. He merely stepped to the side as the bullet sped past his face and into the wall. Remington shook his head.

"….I would like to believe that you think like a human, but you once again followed my order to attack. You would make a fine soldier; willing to attack your commanding officer if he orders it. But that's the problem: real soldiers never think for themselves. At least human scum have free will. Even the man that kindly escorted me earlier fought back without me telling him too. Why can't you do the same?"

The soldier shook his head back and forth slowly and whimpered. Tyrone smiled.

"hm. Very well then."

Tyrone bent down next to man and seized the soldier's arm. The Captain then aimed thearm (along with the gun in it's hand) at his own leg and spoke silently.

"all right soldier, this is your last order. Either way, I will see to it that you die right now; there is no escape from it. However, you will have the choice to die like a human being or like a soldier of NERV. Here is your order: shoot me in the leg. You have ten seconds to do so. After ten seconds, this blade will slash across you neck, and you will die almost instantly. Understood?"

The utterly frightened soldier gulped deeply and then nodded his head.

"Do it now."

The clock was ticking, and the man's finger was itching to pull that trigger. But something stopped him; Tyrone could see it. It was the human inside of the soldier that stopped him fromshooting his own superior. But the soldier inside couldn't be held back for much longer….for the finger was still ready to punch a bullet straight into Tyrone's leg.

"Three….Two….On-"

BAM!

A streak of blood flew across the door. Tyrone had killed the soldier in his typical fashion; and the results of his little gun test were as expected. The man had shot him; right above the kneecap. The ignorant being died as a soldier after all. Tyrone was slightly disappointed by this fact.

_…Either way, my leg would have been shot. I need solid evidence to convince the other lowly worms of this facility that I am not their precious enemy. You could have died a human and gained the small chance of receiving redemption from God_. He thought to himself.

The story Tyrone had concocted was simple: the accused target raided Tyrone's office, pounced the two guards with his knife; the target was about to kill Tyrone, but decided to shoot him instead because fighting hand to hand with Remington would be a death wish. He was prepared to shoot him in the head with one of guns the dead men held, but was immediately distracted by the sounds of rushing footsteps outside. Because he was distracted, he accidentally shot Tyrone in the leg, dropped the knife, and escaped through the ventilation ducts before he was caught.

It was a sketchy tale, but it would have to do. If Tyrone were lucky, he would be 'saved' by foot soldiers that would believe his every word. But if worse came to worse, he would just have to kill him. One wounded leg wasn't enough to stop Tyrone; in fact, he became newlyaccustomed to enjoying the pain.

Speaking of soldiers….he swore that he could hear the faint sound of running footsteps…

_alright…now is the time to finish the setting…_

Tyrone stood up on his couch; his left leg throbbed in pain from the gun bullet, but he smiled at the sensation. He then proceeded to remove the vent on the ceiling, and dropped it with a BANG!

_heh…that should get some more attention…_

Then he carefully placed the knife next to one of the dead bodies; it was evidence that the 'madman' that killed the nurse was still on the loose. Finally he plopped himself next to the chair and positioned his body carefully, so that it appeared as though he were attacked.

That was when two stupid-looking foot soldiers busted through the door.

"Sir! Is everything al-…..my god….."

The two men gaped in terror as they scanned the room; the messy murder scene had apparently given them the desired effect.

"Sir! What the hell happened here!"

One of the footmen dashed toward where Tyrone slumped and inspected his wound carefully.

"He's been shot in the leg…..who ever shot him must have had no time to finish him off.."

The other foot soldier starred at his commanding officer with unspeakable disbelief.

"Sir…please tell us….what happened!"

Tyrone groaned slightly, "….madman….he…….came back….to finish me off…"

Deep down inside, Tyrone began laughing maniacally.

* * *

"We have detected a blue pattern!" 

Misato spun around fast, "Shit…Where is it!"

The man at the console began typing rapidly as the display on the screen changed every few seconds.

"We can't pinpoint the location Commander, but it is at least within at least 3 kilometers of this area!"

" Well, try again! The angel wont wait for long." Misato demanded.

"Can't compute its exact location with the dead Magi. If we at least had one of the real Magi, then I could give you something."

"Damn…the downgrades…"

During the first few months of NERV's deconstruction, the magi and its components have been dismantled for the sake of secrecy, in case any outside interference would care to get their hands on the most valuable technology available. As a result, the Magi were completely destroyed after its initial deconstruction. So even if they had time, Misato wouldn't be able to order back the reinstallation of the system.

Therefore, they were forced to work with the downgraded version of Magi that was installed in order to handle the rest of the operation. However, the downgraded Magi was no more powerful and intelligent than a standard university mainframe (hence, the operators gave it the name "Dead Magi"). According to Misato's knowledge, this system couldn't perform even the most simplistic NERV operation program; long story short, it was toy meant for dismantling.

Misato's eyes widened, "Wait a minute...A blue pattern? On the dead system?"

"Yes m'am. The Angel identification protocol seems to be working at optimum efficiency."

"B-but that impossible! The Dead Magi can't handle angel-type programs!"

The third personnel adjusted his headset slightly, "Commander, I'm getting some noise down on level 19."

"Put it on speaker."

The personnel nodded in confirmation and flipped the switch.

Click

"**NO!NOO!GET AWAY!(**Machine gun firing)**YOU SON OF BITCH, DON'T KILL ME!** (firing stops)**DAMN..DAMN…DAMN….G-G-ET THE HELL BACK! DON'T COME NEAR ME! PLEASE…**(sounds of sobbing)...** I don't want to die….I don't want to…(**sound of swift movement and gushing)"

Misato's heart practically shivered at the sound of it. Yet, the noise still continued.

"**…Hmm….worthless. No more than herded cattle. I wonder….if you taste like cattle as well…**(slurping sound)"

"oh my god…." Misato whispered.

"(munching and slurping still continues)**….ugh…..they even taste disgusting…more worthless than even livestock…**"

The noise stopped momentarily.

"**….can you hear me up there? Don't worry, I'll be coming by shortly…**"

"turn it off…" Misato quivered.

Click

Misato quaked in fear; she couldn't recognize the voice because the sheer thought of it alone made her scared. It was something she couldn't comprehend, even with her military background and expertise, she couldn't hold her fear at that very moment. This thing was different from the angels; it was evil…pure evil.

"What the hell is going on down there?" She managed to whisper.

* * *

"I gather that gave them a scare." Tyrone proceeded to wipe the blood off of his face. There was a part of him inside that grimaced at the thought of him resorting to cannibalism, but he chose to ignore it all the same. He simply looked down at his prey and shook his head from side to side. 

"another worthless human being….truly disappointing."

Tyrone picked up his knife and continued down the hallway; his stomach was suffering from some slight ingestion; as a result, he made a solemn promise to quit cannibalism right here and now. Though he wouldn't quite call it 'cannibalism' per say. Cannibalism was defined as the eating of his own species; but he knew damn well that he was better than the humans that infested this planet. He was perfected; He was brilliant; and most of all, he was powerful. The world was in the palm of his hands, and he could do whatever he wanted with it.

For now, however, he decided to enjoy the essence of this massacre.

"Well now. Let's see what Katsuragi has been up to lately…"

Katsuragi, more than likely, hasn't caught on by now; so the element of surprise was still in his hand for the time. Tyrone felt that he best use it to his advantage.

Tyrone took a left turn down the corridor, whistling some strange tune every step of the way. Then, some caught his ear.

"….Mi….."

The sound was faint, but it was not too far way. Tryone proceeded with caution as he attempted to seek the source of the sound.

"……Misa…."

Tryone peered over the corner of the adjacent hallway, but saw nothing coming or going. It was the same black darkness just like in the last few floors.

"…Hey guardian! You down here?"

Tyrone's eyes widened. He knew that voice anywhere.

'So…the boy and his bitch decided to come back, eh?…strange that they didn't go straight to Central Dogma though. Perhaps they are lost…"

It didn't matter though; Tyrone could hardly contain his glee, for he had finally found the perfect opportunity to deal Katsuragi a punch to where it hurts. He sheathedthe knifeto the back of his belt, and proceeded as casually as he could.

He still had the element of surprise after all.

* * *

'ugh…lost again…' 

Shinji couldn't see anything in this black; it was like wandering though a maze with a blind mouse. Then again, Shinji was hardly surprised. He and Asuka had the same trouble when NERV had a power outage so many years ago.

This time, however, he didn't have the advantage of having Rei lead the way. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't reach her by cell phone. And on top of the overwhelming darkness, Shinji wasn't familiar with NERV's deconstructed facility; it was almost as if they completely altered the building structure rather than take it apart. So needless to say, they were lost.

"….ugh! I can't take anymore! We've been walking around for hours, my knees are getting sore from crawling in those vents, and it smells like blood down here! Sheiss! Sheiss! Sheiss! pant…pant…"

"…..feel better?"

Shinji gave Asuka an exasperated look; her wanting to come down here with him still didn't stop her from bitching.

"pant…pant….sorry. I just needed to get that out…"

"I don't think you need to worry about thatwhen some psycho maniac is chopping us to pieces…"

"psycho maniac?"

Shinji spun around with his gun and flashlight aimed at the figure in the shadows. The dim light revealed the shadow to be none other than Tyrone Remington. He raised his arms in the air.

"Whoa…easy with that Ikari. Don't want that thing shooting off in the dark."

Shinji lowered the nine-millimeter.

"sigh…Sorry about that captain…didn't know it was you…"

Tyrone waved one hand and grinned.

"Don't worry about it. However, I will commend you for taking the initiative. If only the other soldiers were so lucky…"

Tyrone lowered his head and silenced momentarily. He took several deep breaths and patted Shinji on the shoulder.

"But enough of my moping. What's important is that you're alive."

Shinji nodded in agreement.

"Glad to see you're fine as well."

"AHEM."

"ugh!"

Shinji cringed; he knew that sound anywhere. It was the 'Asuka-doesn't-like-to-be-ignored' sound. The young boy turned his head towards the young woman; her arms crossed and one foot tapping impatiently on the floor.

Tyrone took the hint as well.

"And of course, its always a pleasure to see you too Asuka." He smiled.

"Likewise captain!" Asuka replied cheerfully.

"So I gather that you two are trying to reach HQ as well?"

"Yes sir; but we haven't had much luck…"

Tyrone snickered to himself , "Very well then. I'll escort you there myself. I need to reassess my plans with the commander anyway…"

Shinji sighed in relief as Asuka put on her best smile.

"Thank you xaptain! At least someone here has a sense of direction…" her glare looked back at Shinji.

"….but it was you who told me to lead…" He mumbled while itching the side of his face.

"Pardon?" Asuka's incredibly frightening smileglared at Shinji.

" I said that I am perfectly aimless." Shinji confessed half-heartedly.

"Oh good, we're in agreement then. You can lead now Mr. Remington!" Asuka 'commanded' cheerfully.

Remington chuckled and took the position in the front; the two children following closely behind, side by side. Tyrone turned his eyes towards Shinji and spotted the gun in the boy's right hand. He turned his head back and smirked a little.

"Where did you get that gun anyway? That type of weapon is the kind NERV provides to soldiers only."

Shinji was slightly taken aback, "oh. Well…I found it on a dead woman a few floors up. I thought that we might need it… " he admitted guiltily.

Asuka glanced at him and noticed his discomfort, "oh, come on. It's not like she was going to need it anyway."

"How about you ms. Sohryu? Do you have a weapon?"

It was her turn to feel the guilt, "Well…no. I thought that since Shinji has one that-"

"Never assume that. You never know when you and Shinji can be separated in this darkness. And if you do, a gun would be nice to have, wouldn't you think?"

Asuka sulked a little, " I suppose so."

Tyrone smiled and reached into his gun holster and pulled out the nine-millimeter. He checked the safety and handed the weapon to Asuka.

"Very well then; use this. I got a spare weapon anyway."

Asukablinked a few times, buteventually accepted the weapon, "Thank you sir."

"Let's just hope you don't need use it." Tyrone added with a grin.

Shinji smiled in response, "Can I ask you ask you question sir?"

Tyrone looked at the boy "Certainly, what is it?"

"Do you have kidsback at home?"

Tyrone's eyes widened. He didn't expect such a question to be directed towards _him_: an uptight captian of a private military base. It was no matter, Tyrone just had to keep his cool and answer the question casually.

"Perhaps. Why do you ask?"

Shinji shrugged, "I don't know. Its just that when you smile, you kind of look like a father playing with his children."

Tyrone was dumbstruck; people were dying all around this boy and yet he spoke as if he were taking a walk through the park. Why bring up thatsubject at a time like this? Either the boy was just plain stupid, or overconfident about his chances. Of course, his chances were absolute zero, now that he was sitting in the palms of the killer himself. It was all just a matter of time.

He responded just as casually as usual, "…No. but thank you for the compliment."

Shinji wasn't surprised, " I figured as much. But I still think that you would make a great father. If you had a family, they would be lucky."

"family eh?"

Shinji eyes froze. Suddenly, it was as if all time around had slowed down. That voice…the one he heard in his nightmare…sounded exactly like what Tyrone sounded like at that very moment. But…could Tyrone really be the sadistic looking man with the crazy laugh?

_…it can't be…_

Tyrone put his hands in his pockets, "I'll have to think about that one…"

Shinji caught a glimpse of metal under Tyrone's belt. What was it?

Remington continued "Of course…we should really worry about getting out of here first…."

Shinji squinted his eyes, but couldn't make out exactly what it was. It appeared elongated, like some sort of a melee weapon.

"…wouldn't want to be around if the enemy shows up."

Shinji glanced over at Asuka, who looked at him with confusion. Tyrone was starting to get worried with the silence of his two subordinates. He stopped in his tracks, and spoke without looking at either of them.

"Something the matter? Shinji?"

Shinji directed his attention towards the captain and spoke firmly, "sir…what's that in your belt?"

_…oh shit…_Tyrone's thoughts began to swarm with fury. He cursed himself for not properly concealing the weapon, but he needed to take action and quick.

Tyrone turned around to face the two young adults. He reached slowly behind himself and withdrew the knife. Shinji took a defensive position in front of Asuka.

"Oh this? This is that other weapon I mentioned to you."

Shinji pointed the flashlight towards the knife; it still had a mirror-like sheen, as if it were still brand-new. On the surface, the knife seemed relatively unused. However…

"mein gott…it smells like blood. Oh my god...captain, you didn't..." Asuka covered her mouth in shock.

"bad move ms. Sohryu."

SPLAT.

* * *

"Commander, the blue pattern is less than 200 meters from Central Dogma! We have to perform a lockdown!" 

"Not yet!" Misato ordered.

The second personnel spoke next, "but we have to lockdown HQ commander! If we don't-"

"I said not yet! This is our chance to get the upper hand. We could end this battle here and now!"

"But that's….reckless!"

Misato narrowed her eyes at the first personnel, "…do you have a better idea? Anyone else have a better idea?"

The entire staff remained silent. There were certainly other ways for them to extend their survival during this battle, but none that would eradicate the enemy indefinitely...except for this one.

"Alright then! Release all the primary and secondary locks on the doors and…prepare for battle."

Each personnel nodded in confirmation as they pulled out a wide range of weaponry: handguns, tactical shotguns, short sub-machine guns, and a couple of full-size automatic weapons. That added with a few fire grenades, and you have enough firepower to destroy a small platoon. Certainly this was enough for one individual target who could be killed like a human.

"Target is closing in by 100 meters."

Misato withdrew her trusty handgun from the holster and clicked the safety off. She examined carefully.

_It's been a long time since then. I never thought I would have to use this again._

"50 meters"

"It's closing in faster. Everyone, prepare to fire!"

On that note, the chairs were pushed out of the way and the tables were tossed down, forming a few makeshift barricades. Everyone, Misato included, ducked behind the tables with their weapons aimed at the only two convenient entrances to the room. The air became still.

Misato glanced at the console, "….It's here."

The Eastern Entrance opened with a loud SWOOSH! The sound of footprints proceeded slowly into the room.

Misato took a deep breath, "EVERYONE FI-"

"HOLD YOUR FIRE!"

Misato froze; she thought that she would be prepared for anything but never for this. There was only one man in this whole facility that could command in such a tone. The figure in the darkness continued to step forward, his face slowly being revealed in the light. Misato nearly dropped her gun.

"…..Remington…"

Indeed, it was Tyrone Remington; gleaming with some sort of an arrogant smile. He appeared confident with himself; but if supreme victory is what he's expecting, then he had another thing coming. The blue pattern revealed the truth: this man was their enemy. And Misato wasn't prepared to hold back.

"A pleasure as usual Commander. I trust that you are enjoying this as much as I am?"

Misato locked her gun straight for his forehead, "Not as much as I'll enjoy this."

"Ouch! Let go of me dumbkoff!"

Misato stopped breathing.

"...Asuka..."

Tryone looked down at his left hand, "Oh yes. I brought along your 'daughter' as well. I thought she might enjoy this as well."

He lifted his left arm, struggling with a tangle of fiery red hair in his grasp. On the other end was Asuka, nearly driven to tears. He stepped forward casually, dragging the young girl along with him. A trail of blood followed.

"Ow…." Asuka cringed in pain.

"You son of a bitch! What did you do to her!" Misato demanded, her voice filled with fury.

"Calm down Katsuragi, she just has a scratch on her leg." Remington chuckled.

"….L-Liar!" Asuka choked out of her tears, "Misato! He attacked Shinji too! He-"

Tryone jerked on her hair, bringing her up to eye level with him.

"Shut it bitch; useless you would like for meto stabyour other leg as well." He muttered darkly.

Misato could not comprehend the fury she felt right now. Her gun remained firmly leveled, but her voice quivered slightly.

"What did you do with Shinji, you bastard?" Misato practically whispered.

"Oh him? ….Hey, it's not my fault that you never taught the kid how to use a gun."

"What did you do with him?" Misato shouted.

"I shot him of course. Took the gun from his hand and shot him; he practically gave it to me.But I bet your wondering if he is dead or not, right?…well….that depends on how bad he's bleeding."

Misato tightened the trigger, "sick son of a-"

"Hey, hey! Did you forget about her already?" He pulled Asuka by the hair some more just to prove his point.

Misato stood still for moment. The air was tense, until she took a deep breath and finally lowered the gun. It was a lot harder to do than sheimagined.

"Good." Tyrone replied promptly. He took one of the chairs off the ground and placed it next to him. He motioned his hand towards Misato, gesturing for her to sit down.

"Now, let's talk."

* * *

"…It's getting cold."

Shinji wasn't sure what had occurred, for it all happened in a single moment. A swift movement, the sound of a knife cutting through the air, a splatter of blood.

"Asuka's blood…."

That's right. Tyrone stabbed Asuka deep into her right leg. He remembered Asuka screaming from the pain as well. Shinji wanted to deal Tryone a few bullets to the scrotum just for that alone. But the moment didn't stop there. In the next instance, Tyrone snatched the gun from Shinji, aimed it at the boy, pulled the trigger, and then, there was a warm growth spreading across Shinji's shoulder.

'he missed. He had me dead in his locks, and he missed."

Then again, maybe Tyrone's plan was to have Shinji bleed to death. Touching, really. Never the less, Shinji was still convinced that Tyrone missed; the shoulder wasn't the best place to start if you wanted to someone to bleed to death.

What happened after that? Shinji fell over from the shock of being shot; and it was there that he watched the devil carry away Asuka; knife in one hand, a bundle of red hair in the other. And there was Shinji, unable to do anything. He didn't know why: it could have been the shock, it could have been his increasing weakness from blood loss, or he could have beenjustscared stiff.

Yet, that was beyond the point. The truth was that he let his guard down for a split second, and lost Asuka as punishment.

_…alright then...it's time to get back what's mine…_

Shinji began to feel that sudden rise of determination; he learned of this feeling during his years in self-isolation from Asuka, NERV, and the rest of the world. It was how he came to mature into the strong young man he was today. All the same, he still had a part of his old self deep within him. And that was a part that onlyAsuka could see. Though painful, Asuka was always there to remind him of what he once was; and comparing that to 'him' he was today gave him that sudden burst of confidence. It's how he lived now.

'come on Shinji….let's see how confident you are when Asuka's dead from torment. Get a move on!"

With that said, he loaded his newly acquired nine-millimeter (one that he, once again, pried from the dead fingers of corpse) and jogged down the corridor. He had no idea where Central Dogma was, but the blood trail created by Asuka was sure to give him enough milestones towards his destination. The whole time, he could only think of the things he wanted to do to Tyrone for making the young boy's lover bleed….it was the only other thing besides determination that kept his otherwise exhausted body going.

"Hang on Asuka…I'm coming…"

Soon, everyone began to feel warm again.

* * *

Misato promptly sat down in the chair that Remington offered to her. Her expression was stern, but lacked that intense fury that she had experienced only moments ago. Tyrone circled her and eyed her lustfully. Though it wasn't the kind of lust that a man would normally feel for a woman; it was more of a bloodlust, like he wastrying to think of the best way to kill her.

Asuka sat near the wall, her blank expression going off into space. Tyrone did little to restrain her, since the young woman seemedfrightened enough of the man as it is. The personnel were also of little concern as well; for one, they were no better than the soldier dogs that Tyrone had fought earlier, so they would never fire unless commanded too. Secondly, he was certain that Misato valued her newlife, so he knewthat she wouldn't order her staff tostart shooting with _her _in the line of fire. Therefore, all they could do was aim their otherwise useless weapons and wait.

"So…how's the family?" Tyrone asked cheerfully.

"Piss off, " was all that Misato said.

"sorry…alright then, we'll talk about something else."

Tyrone rubbed the end of his chin, then glanced over at the near catatonic Asuka. He smiled with a big "hmmm…" and pulled out Misato's gun from his pocket.

"How about we make a little wager Katsuragi?"

"I'd rather not." Misato scowled.

"oh, come on. You may want to listen to this; it concerns the life of your daughter over there after all."

Misato sighed inwardly, but continued to advert any eye contact with Remington.

"Let's here it first."

Tyrone gave a big grin, "Fair enough. It's rather simple actually: your life in exchange for hers. You die right here and now, I let the young girl be, and I'll be on my way. Like it?"

Misato's body shivered, "hmm. Personally, I would rather that you drop dead first."

Tyrone let out a forced laugh, "I didn't say this bargain was negotiable. Either you take it and die, or you don't accept it and she dies. Those are your only options."

"I understand….well, which one would you prefer?" Misato smirked.

"oh, believe me. I would love nothing more than to see your dead body in a pool of cold blood. But don't get me wrong; I am sure killing ms. Sohryu over there may have its advantages as well."

_hentai._ Misato thought. There wasn't much she could possibly do right now. She could try and stall for some more time, but more time for what exactly? Besides, if she pushed Tyrone too much he just might slaughter everyone without a second thought; though there was no guarantee that he wouldn't if she accepted the trade.

After a few brief moments, Misato directedeye contacttowards Tyrone for the first time. She winced when she saw that his eyes were filled with nothing but void; the man's soul was gone. She gasped slightly, and adverted her eyes once again. Then, with a slight ounce of courage, she spoke.

"I accept."

"Excellent! Then here's what I want you to do commander..."

"What? Aren't you going to kill me now? That's what you wanted right?"

"Oh no, I'm afraid that you have misunderstood. I merely said that I wanted to see your dead body on the floor. What I really want you to do is toshoot yourself right in the head." Tyrone made a gesture with his finger pointing at the sideof his head, "pow! It's that simple."

Misato was at a loss for words. There was no way that she would ever want to shoot herself. She knew that she wanted to live and that her life was worth living; it was impossible.

"No way. I can't do it."

"Hey come on now, we made a bargain remember? I know it's difficult to do, but that is why it is so brilliant! If you truly care for the life of your 'daughter' then you'll do it. It's the only way to guarantee her life."

Misato had enough of Remington's bullshit, "Oh come on! How do I know you won't kill her once you're through with me?"

"You have my word. And I am always a man of my word."

"Bullshit! You're not a man! You aren't even human!"

For some inexplicable reason, Tyrone felt a slight twinge of rage. He swung the butt of the gun across Misato's face; blood spurting from the side of her mouth.

"THAT'S ENOUGH OF YOUR TALK! I WON'T HEAR IT! JUST DO WHAT YOUR TO-"

"You can't fool me anymore. your not Tyrone; he died a while ago."

Tyrone growled, " your right…I am better than that pathetic man that once inhabited that shell; I am perfection in a personified form: I am the angel Iruel."

Misato chuckled, "I could have guessed that. But what bothers me is why would a perfect being want to live in the body of such an imperfect species. Face it; you're not perfect…you're not even close to perfect. All you have is weakness."

"SILENCE! You know nothing of me…I will find a deity vessel to house my perfect soul…"

Misato's eyes widened, "deity vessel?"

Tyrone whipped out the gun and jammed the barrel against the side of Misato's head

"Seems I have said to much. Very well, I suppose I will kill you myse-"

"Your different from when I last met you. Why do you want to kill me anyway?"

Tyrone pulled the gun back slightly in surprise, "….well…your death will insure that…I…"

"Are you acting on Tyrone's instincts or your own?"

"ENOUGH!"

Tyrone gained back his focus and aimed the gun point blank at Misato's head. He squeezed the trigger, sweat pouring down the side of the gun. Misato closed her eyelids shut, bracing herself for the worst.

But then…

"DIE YOU MONSTER!"

"damn!" Tyrone directed his head towards the source of the voice, which was none other than the second child, Asuka Langley Sohryu. Her face was stained with dry tears and her expression was filled with a mix of fright and rage. The gun she held in her hand shook slightly. It was the gun Tyrone gave her.

Asuka began to squeeze the trigger, but suddenly, a strong force pulled the weapon away from her hand. It was Remington; he dashed from the end of the room and disabled her in less than three seconds.

"you little bitch."

Tyrone chucked the weapon across the side of the room and wrapped his muscular fingers around the poor girl's neck. Asuka's breathing became stagnant as Tyrone added more pressure.

"You probably thought it was clever pretending to be spaced out this whole time…but yet in the end, your emotions betrayed your thoughts." Tyrone spoke more darkly than before. His eyes maddened at the sight ofthe suffering girl.

"Interesting….isn't that exactly the same thing that happened to you Iruel?"

Tyrone spun around, only to find another handgun pointed at him. He had completely disregarded Katsuragi's capabilities; for thesecond time today, he had made a mistake in his plans. For that, he would never be able to forgive himself.

"This gun is loaded Remington…Iruel…whatever. Take your hands off of her, or I'll have a bullet do it for you." Misato commanded; her voice sounded just as deep and rage-filled as Tyrone's.

Seeing no way out of this mess, Tyrone loosened his grip on the near breathless Asuka and placed his hands in the air. Asuka took one deep breath of air as she massaged her neck gently with her hand.

"What kind of sick bastard would give an empty gun to a helpless girl?" She mumbled as the now-defeated Tyrone Remington began to rise slowly to his feet.

Defeated. Now that was a word that Tyrone didn't expect to hear. He cringed at the thought of actually being at the mercy of a hapless drunk like Katsuragi; he would have rathershot himself right here than to be taken intocustody by someone who was far less than perfect.

Thankfully for him, all was not lost.

Unbeknownst to the commander, Tyrone had taken measures to secure himself with a tertiary weapon within his jacket sleeve; it was a small knife, about the size of dagger. Tyrone had never used it because, for one, he never really met a situation where he had too. And second, the weapon was not as efficient as his bowie knife was.

However, that didn't mean that it was incapable of killing. With the right aiming and velocity, he could slice the dagger right through Katsuragi's neck. It wouldn't be the killing of his choice, but this was no time to be choosy. Besides, death by choking-on-own-blood might be a suitable enough torture for the trouble Katsuragi has caused him.

And all it would take was a sleight of hand.

Tyrone smirked, "How cruel of both you and irony Misato. But…it seems that fate has rolled the dice and chosen the winner. And as the loser, I must abide the rules of fate and accept my death."

"Turn around," Misato was in no mood for funny business.

Tyrone slowly made a 180-degree turn, his arms still up in the air, "It's a pity though…I still wanted to make one more sacrifice before I leave. But…oh well. I suppose the ritual of Damocles was never meant to be completed."

Misato's eyes flashed with curiosity. Tyrone grinned evilly.

Her guard was down.

_too easy!_

Tryone flicked his wrist, revealing a small sharp dagger. Misato had no time to react as Tyrone gripped the dagger lightly and twisted his arm back slightly. He was preparing to launch that thing straight through her neck.

Misato panicked and rose up her gun, but her reaction was too slow. The knife would cut her before she could even pull the trigger.

_omigod…omigod….is this it?…no…I don't want to...I don't want to die!_

BAM!

Blood spurted out of the side of Tyrone's left shoulder. He grunted in agony as he abruptly dropped his arm to the side, his hand still clutching the dagger.

Misato was astounded, "What the hell?"

"I don't believe this…" Tryone muttered as warm blood streamed down his arm.

"My gun's loaded too captain."

Sure enough, the voice didn't belong to anyone who was currently in this room. The voice was definitely male, so it didn't belong to Asuka. The Central Dogma staff were quiet as they watched Remington carefully from behind their barricades, and Misato was simply dumbstruck. However, the voice was familiar…someone they all knew…

"It can't be…." Tryone growled with fury. The mysterious voice stepped out of the shadows, revealing the limping shape of the young Shinji Ikari. His right arm clutched a smoking pistol as he attempted to cradle his other arm.

Asuka's face brightened with light-hearted tears as if she found new salvation, "OH MY GOD, SHINJI!"

"I thought I would give you some of the same, Sir," Shinji smirked.

Tyrone lowered his head; his arm still clutching the dagger tightly. "And so you have. Perhaps I can give something in return."

Without warning, Tyrone chucked the knife at Shinji's gun, knockingitinto midair and twelve feet across the floor. Before Shinji knew what hit him, Tyrone dashed up to the boy and proceeded to strangle Shinji with his free hand (as he had done with Asuka).

Asuka's face showered with disbelief, "SHINJI!"

"Heh…Déjà vu," Tyrone joked darkly, "This time, however, I'll see to it that you die."

Shinji struggled under the intense pressure of Remington's hand. He attempted to grunt for breath, but was ultimately unsuccessful. To make matters worse, he was unarmed and unable to resist. It seemed that Tyrone had the upper hand once again

"Hang on Shinji!" Misato attempted to aim her gun at Tyrone's head, but she resisted in fear of hitting Shinji in the process.But if she didn't hurry…

Asuka looked around the room desperately for anything that could aid Shinji. Her hopes rose as she spotted a black 9-millimeter only a few feet away from her. She dragged herself over to the weapon slowly, her wounded leg piercing her with unbelievable pain.

_Just a little more…_

Shinji's face began fading to a bright red. Tyrone chuckled deeply at the prospect, "It seems that you too can succumb to death Mr. Ikari. But it would be nice if it went a little faster…" With that said, Tyrone tried to add more pressure to his grip.

Asuka stretched her hand out as far as she could, but she still couldn't quite reach the gun. She inched the rest of the way, her hand still outstretched until, finally,she caught hold of the gun's handle.

"Shinji! Here!"

In no time at all, Asuka swung the gun across the floor towards Shinji. The young boy quickly picked it up off the ground and jammed the barrel deep onto Tyrone's heart. Remington laughed manically as Shinji squeezed the trigger.

"You stupid boy! Don't you realize that that gun has no bull-"

BAM!

Tyrone silenced. A warm sensation began to flow down his chestand onto the floor. His body began to grow cold as life left his body.

He released his hold on Shinji and fell to the ground, clutching hischest tightly.

"N-no way….I don't understand-d….It was all p-perfect…"

There seemingly was no logical explanation to this. Sure enough, the gun that Shinji fired was the one the Tyrone gave to Asuka. And, as Tyrone stated before, the gun indeed was intended to be empty. But all the same, the gun fired and punctured a hole though Tyrone's chest as a bullet normally would. There was no explanation, so why did it happen? Simple: there was indeed at least one bullet in the gun. There was a magazine in it after all, so it was likely that Tyrone miscalculated the number of bullets within the gun. In other words, Tyrone Remington made a mistake that cost him his life.

And he realized this.

"….ugh….such terrible luck…"

With that said, Tyrone Remington let loose his last breath as his body collapsed in a sea of his own blood. His body dissolved into that disgusting yellow pool, like the other victims before him.

Shinji crawled to his feet and dashed over to Asuka. She apparently collapsed under her own pain as she attempted to help Shinji. He shook her gently, but got no response.

He panicked, "Asuka! Asuka, wake up!"

Her body remained motionless. Many possibilities ran through Shinji's mind, but the only one that seemed to stick was the thought that Asuka might be dead. His panic heightened.

"Oh my god, Asuka! Please get up, I don't want…to…..lose…you…..I….lov…"

Shinji's body gave way to exhaustion as his body fell silent. Misato stumbled over to the unconscious couple and smiled slightly.

"You both are very strong. It makes me proud to be your…" she hesitated for a moment, "…..mother."

Misato pausedfor a few moments of satisfaction, but her face eventually changed back into that stern military visage as she turned towards her subordinates.

"Get these two into the ER. After that, we got a lot of cleaning up to do."

* * *

End of Chapter 16 

Author's Note: So there you have it, a single chapter that took several months in the making. The only problem I had with this chapter was mainly...Misato. I don't know, I think I may have butchered her character a bit; but thankfully, I will be exploring more of her (pardon the expression) in the chapter to come. Besides that, I hope there weren't too many grammatical errors, and I also hope that this chapter was simple enough to understand. I seem to have some difficulty with continuity. lol oh well.

I will try my best to update this story a.s.a.p., but by all rights, I have not given you guys a reason to trust me on my updates.However, I will say this: it may take a couple of weeks, it may take several months...but I will get to writing this story eventually.That has been made set in my mind since the day I started this fic.

So until next time, please keep the reviews coming! all constructive criticism is welcomed and embraced, so don't be hesitant.

Later!


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